Maximum Medical Improvement

ARTICLE 3 OF 5

Maximum medical improvement, often abbreviated MMI, generally refers to the point at which additional curative treatment is not expected to materially improve the patient's condition. It does not necessarily mean that the person is pain free, back to work, or fully recovered.

The concept is particularly important for seamen because the duty to provide cure generally continues until maximum medical improvement. Employers and injured workers sometimes disagree about whether that point has been reached, especially when surgery, rehabilitation, injections, or other treatment remains under consideration.

MMI can also affect the timing of settlement. Once doctors have a clearer view of permanent restrictions, future treatment, impairment, and work capacity, the legal team can more reliably evaluate future damages. Settling too early can create a risk that later medical needs are not fully reflected in the resolution.

A declaration of MMI should be understood in context. One provider may believe that no additional treatment in that specialty will help, while another specialist may recommend a different course of care. The relevant medical records, test results, and treatment history should be reviewed before important legal decisions are made.

Even after MMI, a person may need ongoing symptom management, medication, assistive devices, or future monitoring. Those needs can remain important to damages even if they do not qualify as additional curative treatment for maintenance-and-cure purposes.