Video Transcript
Hello, this is Bernard Nomberg with the Nomberg Law Firm. I wanted to take a minute with you to explain the term you may hear in a workers’ compensation claim that is called maximum medical improvement, and to answer why has your weekly check stopped now that you’ve reached maximum medical improvement.
MMI is another term for it, but it is when the authorized treating doctor has come to the opinion that there is no further medical care or treatment that can be reasonably anticipated to lessen the symptoms or the disability of the injured worker.
When MMI is reached, it depends on the particular circumstances of each event.
But it is when the authorized treating physician—that’s the doctor approved by the workers’ comp insurance carrier to provide the care—is present that, by operation of law, a few things occur.
If the injured worker has been receiving weekly or bi-weekly compensation checks for being away from work because of these injuries, those checks will stop.
Also, at that time, most of the time, the injured worker will receive a disability rating, meaning a permanent physical impairment rating. That’s the degree of injury that the authorized treating doctor believes is the impairment.
As well as, most of the time, the injured worker might undergo a functional capacities evaluation, and we’ve talked about that in other videos here, which will help to determine return to work limitations or restrictions.
So, a lot of things happen once the injured worker is placed at maximum medical improvement, also known as MMI. Typically, it results in the checks being stopped. In theory, hopefully the injured worker can return to work, but that’s all dependent upon the particular circumstances of the case, and the situation and the employer’s ability to accommodate and the like.
If you have questions about MMI, TTD checks, or anything about the workers’ comp process, please give us a call at (205) 930-6900. Find other videos along these topics at NombergLaw.com or at our Facebook feed, as well as our X (Twitter) page.
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Maximum medical improvement (also known as MMI) is when the authorized treating physician believes that no more medical care would improve the injured worker’s medical disability. Several things usually occur once MMI is reached. Weekly compensation checks usually stop being paid because in theory the injured worker can go back to work. However, that is determined whether any permanent limitation or restrictions are imposed and if the employer can accommodate these limitations or restrictions.
While each case is fact specific, if you have any questions or concerns about this issue or other issues on the law, please call the Nomberg Law Firm at (205) 930-6900. Our website is NombergLaw.com. We are also on Facebook and X (Twitter).
Also, see our blog article about return to work issues.