As an injured worker in Canton, receiving compensation for your injuries is essential. However, as a victim, you need to be aware of the fact that insurance companies are out to save money, and often do so by shortchanging injured workers by offering them the lowest fees possible. To ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries, consider getting in touch with a workers’ compensation attorney and have them help you fight for your rights.
At Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition, we handle all types of workers’ comp cases and can help ensure that you get fully compensated for your injuries. If you believe you have a workers’ compensation case and would like to know more about maximum medical improvement in Canton, call 470-518-5026 now and schedule a meeting with our experienced workers’ comp attorneys.
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What’s Maximum Medical Improvement?
Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) is a term commonly used in workers’ comp cases and refers to when a victim’s workplace-related injuries have improved as much as it’s medically possible. The victim might still be experiencing the pain and disability caused by their injury, but a doctor has determined that they’ll not get any better as they’ve already reached maximum improvement.
Maximum medical improvement could occur while the injured worker is receiving treatment because the purpose of the treatment is to help them maintain a level of functionality. In some instances, treatment could be ongoing if it involves managing pain. Once an injured worker has reached MMI, they get assigned something known as a permanent partial disability rating, which is calculated into dollars using a formula established by Georgia’s state legislature.
To learn more about Maximum Medical Improvement and permanent partial disability ratings in Georgia, get in touch with us at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition and schedule a meeting with our attorneys today!
Who Determines When an Employee Has Reached Maximum Medical Improvement in Canton, Georgia?
The only person that can determine whether a victim has reached maximum medical improvement in Georgia is the victim’s authorized treating physician. Maximum medical improvement is a state that the injured worker reaches and involves your authorized treating physician deciding whether or not your condition has improved even after treatment.
Maximum medical improvement does not mean that you’re better; rather, it means that your condition has improved as much as it’s medically possible.
When it comes to MMI, your employer has no say in the matter and cannot decide whether you have reached MMI or not. The same applies to nurse case managers and physical therapists. Only authorized treating physicians are allowed to determine whether victims have reached MMI and assign permanent partial disability ratings.
Does Medical Treatment Continue After a Maximum Medical Improvement Diagnosis in Georgia?
In most instances, medical treatment will continue despite you reaching maximum medical improvement and are yet to receive approval to work without any restrictions. At the same time, you could go back to work with a few restrictions in place and still be receiving treatment.
As earlier mentioned, treatment may continue if it’s primarily for managing pain. In such instances, the authorized physician cannot come up with new treatment options since the maximum medical improvement diagnosis could be wrong.
What Happens When You Cannot Return to Work or Perform as Before?
In Georgia, if you have already received a maximum medical improvement diagnosis but are still having a difficult time performing or working as usual due to your injuries, you may continue to receive weekly benefits and medical treatment even after it’s determined that you’ve reached maximum medical improvement.
As a victim, you are entitled to receive both treatment and benefits for 400 weeks; so even if you aren’t working full-time, you will still receive the benefits you need to manage your injuries and move on with life. However, it’s worth noting that your workers’ comp coverage will come to an end once the 400-week period ends.
Something worth noting is that once you’ve reached MMI in Canton, your employer’s insurance company might decide to settle the claim. This could be because your treatment either wound down or plateaued – you probably have received the best possible care and treatment and already understand the implications of your injuries and that you’ll be living with them for the rest of your life.
As an injured worker, ensure you discuss your treatment with an attorney so you have an easier time determining when’s the best time to resolve the case. If you’re healthy and strong enough to go back to work, your doctor will give you an MMI rating before allowing you to work without restrictions. And that is when your benefits get suspended.
However, if you get a permanent disability rating, then that means that you cannot work or can go back to work but with restrictions. In Georgia, a partially disabled worker’s percentage of disability is what determines whether or not he or she will continue receiving benefits for his or her injuries.
Questions About Maximum Medical Improvement in Canton? Contact Us!
Whether you became sick or got injured while at work, you are still entitled to receiving workers’ comp benefits in Canton, Georgia. However, there are several very specific conditions that you have to meet to qualify for these benefits. The good thing though is that once you qualify for workers’ comp benefits in Georgia, receiving them won’t be an issue.
With maximum medical improvement, make sure you understand what the authorized physician means especially when you have to continue getting benefits. If you’ve received a disability rating, our workers’ compensation attorneys can help ensure that you receive the compensation you need to move on with life for the longest time possible.
Over the years, we’ve handled numerous workers’ compensation cases and know how insurance companies operate. As workers’ comp attorneys, we can help you ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve as we understand the tricks that insurance adjusters use to shortchange claims.
To avoid losing out even when you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, consider getting in touch with the best workers’ compensation attorneys in Canton.
At the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition, we put the needs of our clients first and are ready to fight for your rights and ensure that you get well compensated for your injuries. Reach out to us today and schedule a meeting with our experienced and professional workers’ comp attorneys for assistance with your workers’ compensation claim in Canton.
