What is Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)?

Under the principle of maintenance and cure within maritime law a seaman is eligible for cure benefits when injured at sea until he has reached a state of maximum medical improvement. Maximum medical cure, also called maximum medical improvement or MMI, is the point in a seaman's treatment in which his condition will no longer improve with medical intervention or when a treatment plateau in the healing process is reached. MMI can mean that the seaman has fully recovered from his injuries and is able to return to work. For serious or disabling injuries, MMI can also be the point at which any further treatment serves only to make the seaman more comfortable and does not actually change or improve his physical condition.

When a seaman is receiving maintenance and cure benefits and he reaches maximum medical improvement, the employer's duty to provide maintenance and cure payments ends. However, there are some employers who are too eager to stop paying maintenance and cure. If you believe that you have not reached maximum medical improvement, an offshore injury attorney could review your and defend your rights if you were unfairly treated. If the doctor that your employer has hired does not agree with your doctor, a hearing may be requested.

In other cases, a patient may be told that they will not improve, but then their health actually becomes worse. As they are not given monetary assistance for medical treatment, this can have serious consequences for injured workers. However, under permanent partial disability, they may be able to receive additional compensation. If the injuries are extremely serious, total disability benefits may be given to them. By talking to an offshore injury lawyer, you could discover how to navigate through this complicated process.