Maximum medical improvement refers to when an injured person has reached a point where his or her condition can no longer improve. It can also refer to the point when a patient has reached a plateau in the healing process. It can refer to the point when an injured worker has fully recovered from his or her injury. It can also refer to a point where the condition has stabilized and no further improvement is expected. How Does Maximum Medical Improvement Affect Your Claim? Medical improvement is important to know because your workers' compensation will be awarded accordingly. If you're expected to make a full recovery quickly, you likely will not be entitled to high compensation. On the other hand, if it's unlikely that your Maximum Medical Improvement will be at 100%, you could receive workers' compensation for months while you're out of work. Here's a little more information on how you may be entitled to workers' compensation for future lost wages if your Maximum Medical Improvement isn't where you were before the accident. How Can a Workers' Comp Attorney Help You? It is beneficial to have a lawyer represent you as you near your maximum medical improvement point because after you reach this point, your medical condition is evaluated and the degree of partial or permanent disability is determined. It may be beneficial to have representation during this process to ensure that all the pertinent medical records are collected and reviewed in order for you to maximize the benefits you are entitled to. A workers’ comp attorney can represent your best interests during this process. If your doctor has informed you that you have reached your maximum medical improvement you may need a lawyer to represent you as your disability rating is determined. With proper representation you may receive greater benefits than you would if you represented yourself during this process. Once the maximum medical improvement point has been reached your temporary disability payments will stop and a settlement will be determined based on the permanent disability of the injured worker at that point. A lawyer can help guide you through this process and help you ensure you get the maximum benefits you are entitled to.
