What is Maximum Medical Improvement in Texas?

While working as an outside company representative, a man gets into an auto accident and hurts his lower back. During the initial examination, the doctor believed the injured person would require extended physical therapy for exactly seven months. 

After seven months, the person’s back has improved dramatically, but the pain has not entirely disappeared.

After an additional examination, the treating physician believes the worker’s pain will persist and that further treatment is unlikely to help, so maximum medical improvement is likely.

Example 2. A worker at a construction site was seriously injured in a fall. Surgery was necessary and the recovery was slow.

Workers compensation pushed for a MMI ruling, but the treating physician believed additional physical therapy and perhaps another surgery many be needed. In this situation MMI is not achieved.