Workers Comp lawyer Doug Landau has tried cases for clients with permanent injuries, who have reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” and received Permanency Ratings in Virginia & as shown here, in the District of Columbia
Many permanently injured workers have had doctors find that they have reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” (“MMI”). A finding of Maximum Medical Improvement is required BEFORE a doctor can give a Permanent Partial Disability (“PPD”) rating. Under the law of Virginia, the District of Columbia & many other states, the findings of MMI and then a Permanent Impairment rating, are REQUIRED before any permanency payments can be made to the permanently injured worker or their family.
Just because the injured body part(s) have reached a “plateau” in their recovery or that the pain ebbs & flows within a predictable range, that DOES NOT MEAN no more treatment. In fact, the doctors expect there to be fluctuations in symptoms such that periods of Physical Therapy, prescription medications, orthopedic & neurological follow ups, etc., will likely be needed. Maximum Medical Improvement simply means that the treating physicians do not expect a significant improvement in functionality.
Falls from cranes, scaffolds and tall ladders often lead to permanent injuries. The ABRAMS LANDAU Team has seen many workplace falls that lead to permanent impairment and ratings.
For example, if there is a below the knee amputation, the patient is not going to grow back the lower leg. However, even though they are MMI, they will have to get fitted for new prosthetic device every several years. They may also need surgery or refitting, because of wear and tear on the stump or changes in their leg musculature. Likewise, injured workers who have had Spinal Cord Stimulators (“SCS”) implanted because of “failed back syndrome,” will need reimplantation/calibration of their SCS, changes in the batteries and re-placing of leads that may come loose.
Additionally, the ABRAMS LANDAU Workers Compensation Team has long-term Pain Management & Rehabilitation (“PM&R”) clients who will need: modulations of their medication over the years; changes in their prescription load as they develop tolerances; &/or, can no longer handle medications that aggravate their stomach linings &/or cause ulcers. Plus, medical advances have lead to modalities like: PRP injections, SynVisc, radio frequency ablations (“RFA”), etc., that did not exist 10 or 20 years ago. Bottom line: MMI does NOT equal no more medical treatment. Otherwise, all Medical AWARDS would be terminated once an injured worker reaches MMI.
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If you, or a loved one has a doctor that will not treat after a finding of “Maximum Medical Improvement,” or who will not make such a finding because they are afraid that the insurance company will no longer pay for their needed long-term treatment, please reach out to us at: Frontdesk@LandauLawShop.com or call (703)-796-9555.
