Munroe v. US Food Service
33 FLW D1664
Interpretation of settlement agreements is governed by contract law and whether an agreement constitutes a valid contract is a matter of law subject to de novo review. Conditioning a contract upon approval by one of the parties shows that a binding contract has not yet been formed. Section 440.25(3)(b), Florida Statutes (2006), provides in part that if both parties agree, the results of a mediation conference are binding and neither party has the right to appeal the results. The mediation report in this instance indicated that both parties had not agreed to the settlement. The employer/carrier attended the mediation without full authority to settle since settlement was effectuated pending actual acceptance of the offer by the employer/carrier. The claimant was permitted to revoke the offer before it was accepted.