Car accident recovery isn’t linear and it’s normal to get better, worse, and then better again. But what if your healing stops at a certain point and you don’t continue to improve? This is known as reaching “maximum medical improvement,” or MMI. We discuss this concept below and how it could affect your New Hampshire or Massachusetts car accident claim.
Understanding Maximum Medical Improvement
While maximum medical improvement is most often used in correlation with workers’ compensation claims, it’s also a crucial concept for personal injury and car accident cases.
Essentially, what MMI means is that you’ve reached the final point of your recovery. At this stage, you will have tried most if not all therapies available to you and are no longer making additional progress beyond the level you have already reached.
What Happens After MMI
Most car accident victims should wait to file their compensation claims until after they have attained maximum medical improvement. This is because it’s difficult – and sometimes even impossible – to accurately calculate damages in the first several months after the accident.
You risk not being able to include future expenses and permanent disability if you agree to a settlement too early in the claims process. But if you wait, you can include all of your related costs and estimated future expenses to ensure you receive enough money to cover your damages.
The Importance of Documenting Your Recovery
One of the most important things you can do for yourself after a motor vehicle accident is to document your recovery in as much detail as possible. Not only does this come in handy to help you gauge your progress, it:
- Provides your medical team with more information they can use to treat you. It can be difficult to remember everything that’s going on when you go to the doctor’s office, especially if you suffered a brain injury. Writing down your day-to-day struggles and triumphs gives your care team the data they need to plan your treatments and figure out the next step.
- Gives you an outlet to process your emotions surrounding the incident. The emotional component of being involved in a car accident is significant. It’s also not something everyone can understand or relate to. Your journal is a great place to write down how you’re feeling after the collision and can help ease the stress and anxiety that comes with being an accident survivor.
- Offers a real look into what life was like for you after the accident for your legal case. Court cases take a long time and your memories after the crash may get more vague as the months go on. If you keep a notebook of your daily post-collision life, you can easily refer back to the times when you were in pain or unable to do something as a result of your injuries. Your attorneys can use this information to pursue more compensation on your behalf.
The Benefits of Waiting to File Your Car Accident Claim
One key reason to wait to file an accident lawsuit is to assess your level of disability after the collision. Many victims quickly settle their claims to secure funds for medical bills and living expenses, but they run the risk of not being able to pursue compensation if they later find out they are disabled from the accident.
When you delay filing until after you’ve reached MMI, you’ll know exactly what you can do in terms of work and what kind of limitations you have. You’ll also have a better idea of what long-term life will be like for you with your injuries and what accommodations you’ll need to complete important tasks.
How Mazow | McCullough, PC Advocates For You
Recovering after a car accident or helping a family member recover can be strenuous and expensive. You shouldn’t have to pay for the negligence of someone else and we can help. At Mazow | McCullough, PC, we can guide you step by step through documenting your injury and filing a claim.
Call our Salem, MA office at (978) 744-8000 or toll free at (855) 693-9084 to learn more, or contact us using our quick web form and we’ll reach back out to you free of charge.
