What Is Maximum Medical Improvement and How Does it Affect a Car Accident Claim?

Someone who has been seriously injured in a car accident may decide to pursue a personal injury claim to help cover the financial costs associated with their recovery. In many cases, this compensation is desperately needed as medical bills pile up and expenses mount. One thing we caution our clients on is to avoid accepting a settlement or settling their claim too early.

There is a point in recovery called “maximum medical improvement” and settling before this point has been reached can result in the injured person not having enough money to cover all of their medical costs.

What is Maximum Medical Improvement?

Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is a term used by both attorneys and physicians to mark the point in a victim’s recovery where treatment plateaus and no further improvement is expected. Sometimes this means that the patient has fully recovered. At other times, it means that there are no further treatment options available to improve the patient’s condition; they have recovered from the car accident as best they will be able.

Reaching your MMI is important in personal injury cases because it is at this point that your physician provides a final diagnosis and also a prognosis for future medical care or treatments. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you will be living with chronic pain or require treatments for the rest of your life, for example.

MMI and Car Accident Claims

Many victims feel pressure to settle their car accident claim in order to alleviate the financial and emotional stress of pursuing the claim and dealing with mounting medical bills. However, settling before MMI is reached can reduce the amount of compensation you receive from your claim in two ways.

1. By waiting for your maximum medical improvement to be reached, your attorney will be able to determine your total financial need and provide a more accurate valuation to support your claim. Settling before MMI is reached can result in not having the funds needed to cover not just your current and near-future medical costs, but also lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and the long-term costs associated with your condition.
2. Once a settlement has been reached and accepted, you are unable to file for further compensation. This is true even if new expenses arise in the future. If you settle before your MMI is reached, you are all but certain to incur additional medical expenses because you know you’re not fully recovered yet. Not only that, before MMI is reached, you have no idea what your future ongoing medical needs will be and won’t be able to prove a need to obtain compensation for them.

Work With Eisenberg Law to Maximize Your Car Accident Compensation Claim

Although it is difficult, waiting in some circumstances is the best policy in car accident compensation claims. Waiting until you have reached your maximum medical improvement provides you with your best chance at obtaining the full amount of compensation you need. Your Eisenberg Law attorney will consult your medical care team to determine when MMI has been reached and what future care needs will look like. Our team will then analyze future costs and use that information to develop an accurate and fair valuation of need to use in your claim.

Don’t shortchange your future by settling an accident claim too quickly. Contact Eisenberg Law Offices for advice and representation. We will ensure you are fairly compensated for your injuries so your future is secured.

Discuss your situation with one of our car accident attorneys in a free and confidential consultation by calling 608-256-8356 or emailing info@eisenberglaw.org today.