At Beaty Legal, PLLC, we are accustomed to handling slip and falls, negligence, and premises liability. Because many of these accidents can occur at work, you need to understand what a maximum medical improvement is and what happens after it has been reached. To give you a better idea of what it is, imagine someone involved in a slip-and-fall accident. The worker sustained significant injuries, including a broken leg.
The employee goes to the appropriate physicians to receive treatment. After eight weeks, the doctors believe that the employee will never again be able to employ a full range of motion with the leg. In other words, the leg has reached a point where further medical treatment will not improve the employee’s leg. It does not mean that the employee doesn’t need additional medical treatment. Additionally, Texas law states that workers will reach the MMI 104 weeks from the day they first receive benefits.
When the MMI Has Been Reached
When the MMI has been reached, a doctor assigns an impairment rating, and it is common to see this abbreviated as “IR.” Upon reaching the MMI, any temporary benefits you were receiving will cease. However, you may not need to wait until you reach it to seek additional benefits. Although this is a conversation you need to have with an attorney, you simply need to understand that there are steps you can take as you near the MMI to prevent an income gap.
Before reaching the MMI, you were likely receiving temporary income benefits (TIBs). After it has been reached and you have obtained an impairment rating, you can begin to receive impairment income benefits (IIBs).
How Much & For How Long?
The amount of money you receive and the amount of time you receive it depends on two things:
- Your weekly wages before being injured
- Your impairment rating
You receive three weeks of payments for every percentage point. (E.g., 20{33efa27e9338f88551aa2ba25ffffac68c782f6d03bc44ca8c4ab5be80a31884} would be 60 weeks.) IIBs are also 70{33efa27e9338f88551aa2ba25ffffac68c782f6d03bc44ca8c4ab5be80a31884} of your average weekly income, making them less than temporary income benefits. As you can see, impairment ratings significantly impact your payments, which is why people can challenge them through benefit review conferences. Lastly, it is also important to note that it is possible to receive supplemental income benefits after your IIBs end if you have a rating of 15{33efa27e9338f88551aa2ba25ffffac68c782f6d03bc44ca8c4ab5be80a31884} or more.
Get in Touch With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Whether you endured a wrongful death or a personal injury, Beaty Legal, PLLC, understands how to obtain the compensation and benefits you need. Even if your insurance company denies your claim, we can help. Attorney Beaty understands insurance companies because he used to work for them. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
