If you’ve been injured in an offshore accident, you may have come across the term maximum medical improvement. Insurance companies use it to mean that benefit payments for an injured worker will cease. This is based on the belief that the worker’s recovery has hit a plateau and will not be improving any further. As such, they believe further medical bills won’t have a positive effect.
While it’s possible the insurance company could be right, it’s important that you have a qualified maritime attorney from a firm like Kirkendall Dwyer LLP review the matter on your behalf. In fact, it’s best to contact them, as soon as the injury happens, to make sure the issue of maximum medical improvement is handled preemptively.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for an employer, insurance agency, or both to guide or recommend you to a certain healthcare provider. Often times they’re picking this particular physician based on their mutual history. If they can get this doctor to sign off on the idea that you simply won’t recover any further, the insurance company and your employer could be off the financial hook.
By speaking with a maritime attorney immediately, though, you can get help finding a medical practitioner who will keep your best interests in mind. Although maximum medical improvement may still become an issue, you’ll be able to rest assured that it’s for a legitimate reason. Furthermore, your attorney can look the matter over to provide further assurance.
Suffering an injury offshore is bad enough and often starts a complicated process of making sure you get the compensation you rightfully deserve. Unfortunately, some companies can make matters worse by trying to force maximum medical improvement judgments through. If you become injured, contact a qualified maritime attorney, like the ones working for Kirkendall Dwyer LLP, as soon as possible.
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