What Does Maximum Medical Improvement Mean in a Personal Injury Case?
You’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, and you’re wondering how much your claim is worth—but during your research, you’ve discovered that you can’t really know until you reach “maximum medical improvement.” What is maximum medical improvement, how long does it take, and what does it mean for your claim? This is just one of many factors that determine how much compensation you may get and how long the entire process will take.
Learn more about maximum medical improvement, also known as MMI, and then call Peake & Fowler at 803-788-4370 when you’re ready to discuss your claim in greater detail.
Seeking Medical Care After an Accident
If you listened to what any personal injury lawyer recommends after an accident, you went straight to the doctor after your injury. This is a crucial part of figuring out just how seriously you’re injured after an accident. It determines the starting point for your recovery and gives your care team an idea of what to expect in the weeks and months to come.
Another reason it’s important to get checked out after an accident is that it gives you a ballpark idea of when you may reach maximum medical improvement.
Your Prognosis and Path to Recovery
The path to recovery looks a little bit different for every accident victim. For some people, it’s quick and easy. When this happens, medical expenses tend to be in line with initial expectations. Others have a much bumpier road. Treatments may be ineffective, patients may experience serious side effects, and some people even regress in their recovery. This adds to the overall cost of care and draws out the healing process.
When do you reach maximum medical improvement? It’s different for everyone. In some cases, maximum medical improvement is the same as a full recovery. Consider a simple bone break that’s easy to set and heals completely. The patient is essentially as healthy and whole as they were prior to the accident.
Other people will never make a full recovery, regardless of the treatments they complete and the care they receive. For them, maximum medical improvement falls short of a full recovery. When a full recovery is not possible, maximum medical improvement is the point at which no further healing is expected, and no additional treatment options are available.
How Maximum Medical Improvement Affects Your Claim
Maximum medical improvement is an essential factor in your personal injury claim. Medical expenses are the bulk of many personal injury claims, and until you’ve reached MMI, you truly have no idea how much your medical expenses will be. Imagine this scenario: you’re involved in a car accident, and you get thrown from your vehicle. Your broken bones are set and everything appears fine except for a bit of lingering pain, so you accept the insurance company’s initial settlement offer. More than a week later, you return to the hospital for searing pain and weakness in your leg.
It turns out you have a widespread infection caused by road rash. It takes weeks for you to recover, and you have to put in months of work at physical therapy to regain your previous level of strength. Since you didn’t wait until you’d recovered, your initial settlement is not nearly enough to cover your medical bills. In this scenario, you have no other options—the additional treatment costs fall squarely on your shoulders.
Waiting to accept a settlement offer until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement is one way to make sure you actually get what you deserve. Medical care is incredibly expensive in this country, and you need to ensure that your settlement covers every single dollar of care you receive. Working with an attorney early in the personal injury claim process is the best way to protect yourself; your attorney will protect you from underhanded insurance tactics and lowball offers. Then, when you do reach maximum medical improvement, they can negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.
Ready to Start Your Claim? Call Peake & Fowler Now
The earlier you contact our team after a personal injury in Columbia, the sooner we can start constructing your case. Let’s set up a time to talk about what comes next. Fill out our online contact form or call us at 803-788-4370 to set up a consultation now.
