If a party fails to comply with a discovery plan, what is a possible remedy?

• A. The court may issue sanctions for failure to comply with discovery plan
• B. The case is automatically dismissed
• C. The discovery plan becomes invalid
• D. The case moves to mediation automatically

Answer: (A)

Failing to comply with a discovery plan triggers enforcement measures by the court. The discovery plan sets the schedule and scope for gathering evidence, and the court can sanction a party that ignores or violates it to compel compliance and deter future violations. Remedies typically include monetary sanctions (paying the other side’s fees and costs), an order to comply by a set deadline, or more severe steps like an adverse inference or even dismissing claims or entering a default judgment if the noncompliance is willful and prejudicial. The other options aren’t automatically triggered: a case isn’t automatically dismissed just for failing to follow a discovery plan, the plan doesn’t become invalid simply due to noncompliance, and mediation isn’t automatically invoked because discovery was not complied with.