Oct 9, 2020
What Does Maximum Medical Improvement Have to Do With my Workers’ Comp Case?
After a work accident, the best-case scenario is that the injury can be treated by a medical professional and the worker can be entirely healed with no long-term effects. However, there are many instances where work injuries can have lifelong ramifications. Below, we discuss how a term called “maximum medical improvement” is used to provide injured workers with long-term benefits.
Defining MMI
Maximum medical improvement (often referred to as “MMI”) is a term used in workers’ compensation cases when an injured worker’s treating physician determines that the individual has improved as much as medically possibly.
This does not necessarily mean that the patient has completely recovered from treatment. After reaching MMI, the patient may still experience disability, impairment, or pain for the remainder of their life, but their doctor has determined that no further medical treatment will make a difference to the individual’s recovery.
A patient may also reach MMI when they are still receiving treatment with the primary purpose to maintain a certain level of functionality for the individual or manage pain.
Calculating Your Rating and PPD Benefits
Once an injured worker has reached maximum medical improvement, they are then assigned a permanent partial disability rating. This rating number will essentially be the number of weeks that the recovering worker can receive compensation in the form of permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits.
The state of Georgia has a specific formula that specifies how much each body part is essentially worth. To determine the total amount of benefits owed, multiple the rating of the body part injured by the average weekly wages of the worker. An attorney can assist you in calculating your specific benefits with this formula.
Finding a Better Solution for You
If you have any questions regarding your workers’ compensation case or need assistance with one, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Hansford McDaniel – Workers’ Compensation Attorneys. Trusted in our local communities with decades of legal experience, we are committed to finding a better solution for injured workers across Atlanta and for you.
Contact our workers’ comp attorneys at 770-922-3660 to get started with a free, no-obligation consultation!
