What Is Maximum Medical Improvement?

Once you have suffered a work-related injury, it becomes imperative that you understand what is meant by maximum medical improvement, better known as MMI. MMI is the point you reach when you cannot recover beyond your highest reached condition. In other words, let us suppose that you initially suffered an injury that caused you to lose all feeling in your legs and that hindered your ability to move your lower body. Then, a few months later, you regain some sensations in your legs and you can wiggle your toes, but you cannot bend your knee nor stoop down. Your doctor told you that your body will not improve beyond this point for the foreseeable future. Once s/he tells you this, you have hit your MMI. A doctor will diagnose and determine your MMI usually after six or more months after your injury. As much as you may want and expect to receive workers’ compensation immediately, it can be in your best interest to wait until you are given your MMI. It is especially true that you should wait until you are given your MMI report if your work-related injury is severe. This is why you should speak with a medical malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City UT, who can help ensure your MMI is timely and accurate. Initially, you may not know whether your injury is severe and you may even feel normal or want to return to work immediately, but you can be exacerbating internal injuries that you do not realize you have. Once you are given your MMI, workers’ compensation will provide you with a lump sum to cover your future lost earnings based on your life expectancy. Your doctor will describe your work limitations and your physical work capabilities, all of which factor into the dollar amount you can look forward to receiving from workers’ compensation. Without knowing your MMI, your workers’ compensation amount might not cover the full range of your expenses and there is a great possibility that you will be underpaid. You might be underpaid because your employer’s insurance company expects you to make a full recovery or disbelieves the severity of your condition. To learn more about how we can help you, please call Rasmussen & Miner today.