What Is Maximum Medical Improvement in a New Orleans Workers’ Compensation Case?
If you were seriously injured at work in New Orleans, the reality is that your workers’ compensation case may continue while you receive medical treatment and recover from your injuries. At some point during that process, however, your doctor may tell you that you have reached “maximum medical improvement,” or MMI. If you are still experiencing pain or limitations, hearing that you have reached MMI can be confusing and concerning.
Maximum medical improvement is an important concept in Louisiana workers’ compensation cases. Understanding what MMI means (and what it does not mean) can help injured New Orleans workers understand what may happen next in their workers’ compensation claims.
What Does “Maximum Medical Improvement Mean” in a New Orleans Workers’ Compensation Case?
Reaching MMI does not necessarily mean that you are completely healed or that you feel as good as you did before your workplace accident. The Louisiana Administrative Code provides that MMI is declared when a patient’s condition has “plateaued” and the authorized treating physician believes that “no further medical intervention is likely to result in improved function.”
In other words, MMI typically refers to the point at which the treating physician believes additional medical intervention is unlikely to produce further functional improvement. An injured New Orleans worker may therefore reach MMI while still experiencing symptoms or limitations related to a workplace injury.
Why Can MMI Matter in a New Orleans Workers’ Compensation Case?
Reaching maximum medical improvement can be an important stage in a New Orleans workers’ compensation case because it provides information about the worker’s medical condition after treatment and the extent of any continuing limitations. Depending on the circumstances, questions may arise concerning the worker’s ability to return to their previous job, ongoing work restrictions, permanent impairment, additional medical needs, and workers’ compensation benefits.
Importantly, reaching MMI does not necessarily have the same consequences for every injured worker. If you have questions about what an MMI determination means for your particular claim, consider speaking with an experienced New Orleans workers’ compensation lawyer before making decisions about your case.
Does MMI Mean Your New Orleans Workers’ Compensation Case Is Over?
MMI is a medical determination concerning the injured worker’s condition and expected improvement. It does not, by itself, mean that every issue in a New Orleans workers’ compensation claim has been resolved.
An injured worker may still have significant physical limitations after reaching MMI. Depending on the individual case, there may also be questions concerning the worker’s ability to earn wages, permanent disability or impairment, future medical care, or other benefits available under Louisiana workers’ compensation law.
A New Orleans Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Can Protect Your Rights After MMI
If you were told that you reached maximum medical improvement, it is important to understand what that determination means for your workers’ compensation claim. An experienced New Orleans workers’ compensation lawyer can review your medical records, evaluate your work restrictions and continuing limitations, determine what workers’ compensation benefits may remain available, address disputes with your employer or its insurer, and fight to protect your rights.
The experienced New Orleans workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC fight for injured New Orleans workers. If you have questions about MMI or your New Orleans workers’ compensation claim, contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak with a lawyer now.
