Occupational illnesses and work mishaps differ in terms of severity. Some of these work-related incidences may be minor and need you to be off work for a couple of days before you return at full capacity. Others, unfortunately, suffer debilitating injuries that result in permanent disabilities that completely upend their lives. So how do you know your injury classifies as a permanent disability?
The upshot to this question can only be answered by your attending physician. Your workplace injury classifies as a permanent disability when your attending physician determines that you have attained maximum medical improvement or MMI. MMI refers to a scenario where your medical state can’t get better even with continued treatment. If you find yourself in this situation, it is best to seek legal aid to learn more about the options you have.
When your health condition doesn’t change even after exploring all reasonable treatment alternatives following a work mishap, you should consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer about your Tucker maximum medical improvement. The attorneys at Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Tucker, GA can give you the legal counsel you’re looking for. You can get in touch with our Tucker workers’ compensation lawyers at 470-518-5026 to schedule a free-of-charge case assessment.
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What Is Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)?
MMI is a situation where the health condition and healing process of an employee who has suffered an illness or injury in the workplace attain its peak and cannot change. In short, the ailment or injury cannot get better even with additional medical treatment. The worker may find themselves disabled or in pain for the entirety of their lives and a qualified physician has done an evaluation and determined that the health condition of the injured worker cannot improve as they have attained maximum improvement.
MMI may happen when the injured worker is still receiving medical treatment as the goal of treatment may be aimed at helping the victim attain a certain degree of functionality. You should note that MMI isn’t a sign of the improving condition of the injured worker, rather, it means the work injury or occupational illness has been treated as much as the attending physician can.
Who Determines When You’ve Achieved MMI in Tucker, Georgia?
In the State of Georgia, only a certified medical practitioner can give the final verdict on whether you’ve attained MMI. After your medical prognosis, your attending physician can conclude that your medical condition has improved as much as it can.
Your employer or their insurer doesn’t have any jurisdiction whether you’ve attained MMI. If an employer or their insurer tries to make that decision, note that it won’t affect the employee’s MMI claim.
What’s more, physical therapists or nurse case managers don’t have legal grounds to make a decision whether an injured employee has attained MMI. Only the approved workers’ comp physician can make this vital decision and then allot an impairment rating for calculation purposes.
Does Medical Treatment Continue After an MMI Diagnosis?
Yes, medical treatment can continue after your MMI diagnosis given how it is assured that you’ll feel pain or you’ll suffer a disability for the entirety of your life.
Georgia law mandate that insurers provide medical coverage to injured workers for pain relief purposes. Even after attaining MMI, you still require pain alleviation or relief or any other viable treatment that can assist you in coping with your situation.
If you find yourself facing a situation where the employer and their insurer are to pay for the medical treatment, it’s high time you consider talking to a workers’ compensation attorney that is conversant in Georgia workers’ compensation laws. To ensure that your rights and privileges are secured, you should enlist the services of a Georgia State Board-approved workers’ comp attorney.
What If You Cannot Return to Work at the Same Level After MMI?
There are instances where even after receiving your MMI prognosis, you may find that you’re incapable of returning back to work due to your injuries. In Georgia, if you can’t return to your normal work duties, and achieve the same performance levels pre-accident after attaining MMI, you have a right to continue receiving medical care and weekly benefits.
The benefits may continue rolling in for up to 400 weeks. If you’re physically incapable of returning to your work duties on a full-time basis, you can still continue receiving benefits but your compensation coverage will halt after 400 weeks.
It’s important to keep in mind that once you’ve attained MMI in Tucker, GA, the insurance provider of your employer may make a decision to settle the case. They opt to go with this path if the medical care treatments have wound down or plateaued. They presume that you as the injured worker have gotten the best possible medical care and understand the full extent of your injury type.
To be on the safe side, ensure that you have consulted with your attorney regarding the circumstances surrounding your medical treatment so you know the best time for resolving your claim.
Call Us to Understand Your Tucker Maximum Medical Improvement
It is a common occurrence for workers to get hurt or fall sick while they are fulfilling their jobs. Regardless of the situation that resulted in your occupational mishap, you have a right to seek workers’ comp benefits. It’s important to bear in mind that workers’ comp cases are quite intricate. That’s why you require the services of a qualified workers’ comp attorney that handles Tucker maximum medical improvement cases.
There are a lot of workers’ comp attorneys in Tucker, GA but narrowing down to top-tier lawyers isn’t an easy task. You can bet that your employer and their insurance provider will enlist the best workers’ comp attorneys to disqualify your claim. If you want to get expert legal services, we Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Tucker, GA are readily available to hear out your case.
We value our clients and understand how difficult this period can be for you mentally, physically, and financially. This is why we provide our services on a contingency basis to lessen the burden for you. Get in touch with us at 470-518-5026 to get the help you desperately need.
