Before you should even begin thinking about what your Illinois work comp case might be worth, you should be thinking about three words: Maximum medical improvement, a/k/a MMI.
There is nothing more important in this world than your health. MMI refers to you being as good as you can get. In other words, no more medical treatment will improve your condition and typically, with the possible exception of some therapy or an annual checkup, you are discharged from medical care.
As a lawyer, until we know that you are as good as you can get there is not a realistic way to evaluate the actual value of your injury. Perhaps you will have permanent restrictions such as no lifting more than 20 pounds; perhaps your doctor will tell you that you need a new line or work; perhaps (and hopefully) you will be able to do exactly what you used to do. All of these things impact the ultimate value of a case. But until you are at MMI we have no way to know how this will play out. Your doctor might hint that you need a new line of work, but until you are as good as you can get we don’t know for sure.
We don’t give our medical advice, but it is common for clients to talk about maximum medical improvement with their doctors, not from a legal standpoint, but in terms of where they are going with their care. If you don’t feel your doctor is focusing on getting you better or you are not happy with your improvement, you have a right to a second opinion.
One final thought, being at MMI doesn’t mean that nothing can be done to get you better. For example, you may have a doctor that suggests you need back surgery, but you could decide that you don’t want it. It’s not uncommon for a surgeon to say that back surgery is needed, but since the patient doesn’t want it they are now at MMI. Usually in those situations the doctor will have tried more conservative treatment first like physical therapy or cortisone injections. Once surgery is the last resort, if you don’t do it then it would make sense that you are as good as you can get. Clients in those situations are often given permanent restrictions.
We are workers’ compensation attorneys that help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
