What is Maximum Medical Improvement for Workers’ Compensation Purposes?
If you have been hurt on the job, and have been awarded workers’ compensation benefits, you may be familiar with the term “maximum medical improvement.” Maximum medical improvement, or MMI, is that point where doctors reasonably expect no further improvement in your health. It may mean that you have fully recovered and are ready to go back to work. It may, however, mean that there are no medical procedures that will improve your health, and that time won’t do so, either.
If you have not consulted with a lawyer before reaching maximum medical improvement, you should because you may be entitled to additional New Jersey Workers’ Compensation benefits.
If you do have a permanent injury that impacts your ability to work, even if you have returned to the same job, or engage in certain daily activities, an attorney will pursue a claim for additional money for your functional loss in the form of a permanency award through the New Jersey Department of Labor, Division of Workers’ Compensation. This is done by filing a claim petition with the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation and getting you examined by an expert medical witness for a disability rating for court. The workers’ compensation carrier will respond to the claim petition and have you examined by an expert witness for them on your behalf. The opinions of the examining physicians are used to either settle your workers’ compensation claim or litigate the claim before a workers’ compensation judge.
New Jersey Workers’ Compensation is a specialized and technical area of law that should be handled by an attorney who knows the ins and outs of the system. Craig Voorhees has many years of experience representing injured workers and is committed to get his clients the best result possible.
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To arrange a private meeting, contact us by e-mail or call our office at 609-771-8611. Evening and weekend meetings are available upon request.
We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency basis. There will be no attorney fees unless we get compensation for your losses.
