A lawyer for Walker County, Ga., says Erlanger Health System representatives refuse to negotiate.
In a news release last Thursday, Stuart James said he offered the hospital $1.3 million to end the lawsuits between the two sides. He said Erlanger declined the offer, with the company’s lawyers telling him they are not interested in mediation.
James, whom Walker County hired to handle its lawsuit with Erlanger, said the hospital’s lawyers also turned down a settlement offer in late March or early April.
“We are disheartened that Erlanger has rejected offers to settle or for mediation not once, but twice,” James wrote in the release. “At the direction of [Walker County Commissioner Bebe] Heiskell, I’ve worked diligently to resolve this claim without litigation.”
He added: “Our goal is an outcome that will best serve everyone involved in this matter. We believe it’s time to put this dark chapter behind all of us and we’re prepared to do so through the offer of a settlement. Unfortunately, this goal is not shared by Erlanger.”