What is MMI?

MMI, or maximum medical improvement, is an extremely critical factor in personal injury suits, particularly those concerning maritime law. MMI is declared when an injured victim has recovered as much as possible from his or her injuries. While this does not necessarily mean the end of medical treatment, it does rule out the reasonable possibility of new treatments and complications—which then allows a personal injury lawyer to properly calculate what medical expenses the negligent parties should be responsible for.

In many cases, MMI is determined before a suit is filed, but in other instances, the injured party may be subject to a number of different medical opinions before the matter reaches court. This is most common in maritime law matters, where offshore companies are responsible for recovery funds called “maintenance and cure” to hurt workers. It is in these cases where MMI can become hotly contested. Offshore companies and their insurance providers will have their own medical professionals weighing in on the injured party. They will do this for several reasons:

• To minimize and refute the seriousness of the injury
• To contest the medical determinations provided by the victim’s doctors
• To sever all “maintenance and cure” funds as soon as possible
• Simply put: as soon MMI can be determined, a medical expenses sum can be reached—and when MMI is prematurely determined, that sum may save the negligent parties money.

Vigilant Maritime Law Representation

When dealing with a maritime law injury case, it is absolutely necessary for the plaintiff’s representation to be vigilant of these efforts to prematurely determine MMI. It is your representation’s responsibility to ensure that your personal injury suit accurately addresses all medical expenses and when the defendants are allowed to strong arm the MMI process, the victims could be left with proceeds that do not cover the treatment they need to move on with their lives in the best possible health.

If you are facing a maritime law injury case and need knowledgeable and aggressive representation ready to assert the gravity of your injuries, then contact us at Johnson & Associates, PC now. A proven Alaska maritime attorney is ready to hear your story.