Is mediation required in a Florida personal injury case?

In most Florida personal injury lawsuits, mediation is either required by the court or strongly encouraged before the case can go to trial. Once a personal injury suit is filed, Florida courts routinely order the parties to attend mediation as part of managing the case, and many judges will not set a trial date until a good-faith mediation has taken place. This does not mean you are required to settle — mediation is non-binding, and you cannot be forced to accept any offer. It simply means the parties must make a genuine attempt to resolve the case with the help of a neutral mediator before consuming the court’s trial resources. Because a large share of personal injury cases settle at or after mediation, it is often the most important day in the life of the case.