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While you are likely very grateful for the workers' comp benefits you've been receiving up to now, you may be wondering when you will be able to return to work. After all, that portion of your salary that you are being paid to stay home and recuperate just doesn't go very far when paying bills. At this benefit level, workers' comp is not meant to go on forever, so you may be asked to participate in a special type of medical exam. Read on to learn more about this exam and what MMI means.
Maximum Medical Improvement
This exam is meant to determine how much more healing you may need for your injury and more. For example, if your injury is judged to be healed enough for you to return to work, you may be ordered to do so. If you injury appears to be stalled and is not getting any better, the workers' comp insurance carrier (with the doctors' input) may determine you to be a maximum medical improvement (MMI). You should be cautioned that this does mean that you will no longer require any further medical treatment, but that your injury may actually be a permanent one.
What This Ruling Means
Your days of receiving a portion of your regular salary will likely come to an end with the ruling of MMI, since the findings could mean that you may never be able to return to your job, or perhaps any job, again. Not only may you be qualified for a lifetime of benefits from workers' comp, but you may also qualify for Social Security disability pay. The way the lifetime of benefits is paid can vary, however.
Lump Sum Settlements
In some cases, the workers' comp carrier may extend a lump sum settlement offer to you, and in some cases these benefits are paid in weekly or monthly amounts. How much could you get? The amount of the initial offer is often based on several factors, such as:
You may not have felt the need to use the services of workers' comp attorney up to now, but these negotiations are too important to be overlooked. You need to get enough to replace your salary for the remainder of your working years, and it needs to be structured so that you can also collect Social Security at the same time. Speak to a workers' comp attorney through services like Gieg Law Offices as soon as possible.
Share23 August 2017
