- Workers' Compensation
It is unfortunate to meet an accident at work. You stay at the hospital, your company pays your treatment and medical bills, and you take time to recover. But one day, the company tells you that it can’t pay for your treatment anymore. You are still recovering from the injury, and you know that there isn’t a possibility to go back to work anytime soon. So how do you manage your medical bills? Who will pay for them? That’s the time when you contact Work Injury Rights to fight a Tampa maximum medical improvement case.
Maximum medical improvement is a stage when your medical condition can’t improve further. It may mean two things: either you have fully recovered from your injury, or you will continue to sustain the injury until you die.
A doctor determines your recovery stage once you exhaust your company’s workers’ compensation benefits. He performs various tests on the injured area and checks whether you have a permanent or partial impairment or not. The degree or severity of your injury at the time of assessment is crucial for us because it helps us decide how to handle the case. Sometimes, companies force employees to forego their workers’ compensation benefits by threatening to dismiss them from work.
But you shouldn’t worry about these things as long as Workers’ Injury Rights is beside you. Call our Tampa workers’ compensation lawyers at 954-833-5226 and share your story with us. We promise to help you fight the case against your employer.
What Is Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)?
Every employee will agree that they should get full compensation from the company if they get injured at work, irrespective of the time they take to recover. But maximum medical improvement may not let that happen for a simple reason – your employer would try to save as much money as possible instead of spending on your treatment. He will try to bury you with paperwork and various medical tests to prove that you don’t need further treatment for your injuries.
That shouldn’t scare you. You may not know what to do, but the last thing you should do is panic. Instead, get in touch with us. Tell us what happened. We will handle the paperwork on your behalf. We will make sure that your employer can’t scare you with notices from his lawyer. Remember, you suffered the injury while doing his work. If your injury didn’t heal, it’s his responsibility to pay, no matter how much time you take to recover.
What if the injury led to an amputation of your leg? You took a few months to recover. Finally, the doctor tells you that you are now fit. But you still don’t have a leg! That’s a life-changing fact. No person comes into this world with a pair of crutches. If you need to use one due to a work-related injury, it’s your employer who should compensate for your loss.
Sure, you can go back to work. But will you have the same potential as before? Will you have the ability as your colleague? In fact, you may have to change departments if you still want to remain in the same company. These things matter. And we ensure that the judge listens to these arguments before giving a decision.
Who Determines When the Employee Has Achieved Tampa Maximum Medical Improvement?
A doctor performs various tests to assess whether you have reached a stage of maximum medical improvement. Additionally, the workers’ compensation insurance company may also request you to undergo a medical examination to confirm your MMI. The doctor must submit all the reports to the respective workers’ compensation insurance company, patient, and employer.
In addition to assessing the test reports, he also has to share his opinion regarding your condition. If he thinks that you are fully fit, your employer may terminate your workers’ compensation benefits.
However, if the doctor and your treating physician disagree with the reports, the workers’ compensation insurance company can send the documents to the court. A judge will go through the case and decide whether to impose maximum medical improvement or stall it until you fully recover. We can help win the case on your behalf by putting together multiple pieces of evidence that prove your inability to rejoin work anytime soon.
Does Medical Treatment Continue After an MMI Diagnosis?
Yes, medical treatment may continue after an MMI diagnosis, but for a limited period. You get a five-year grace to continue enjoying the benefits from the date of your injury. For example, if you recover from your injury in eight months, but the doctor recommends medical assistance for a few more years, you have five years to use the company’s workers’ compensation fund.
Some workers’ compensation insurance companies don’t want to pay your share of compensation after an MMI diagnosis. You don’t need to worry about your next step. Contact us, and let us handle the matter. You can go back to focusing on your recovery while we deal with the workers’ compensation insurance company and take them to court if required.
What if You Cannot Return to Work and Perform at the Same Level After Your MMI Diagnosis?
As mentioned in a previous example, you cannot regain your full ability to work if the doctor amputates one of your legs. But what if you cannot return to work at all? Or maybe perform at the level that you used to? The Tampa Maximum Medical Improvement law says that you are eligible for supplemental job displacement benefits. These are available in vouchers that may range from $2 to $2000.
Additionally, your employer has to increase your weekly payment by at least 15% if you become partially disabled. He also has to significantly increase your wage loss amount to compensate for the treatment and provide enough to make ends meet for your family.
Let Us Help You With Your Workers’ Compensation Claim After Reaching Tampa Maximum Medical Improvement
At Work Injury Rights, we give you the right to share your story in as much detail as possible. Our experienced lawyers know the Tampa maximum medical improvement laws and how to handle such cases. Call us at 954-833-5226 to set up an appointment and increase your chances of winning against your employer.
