This is why reaching the maximum medical improvement point is crucial in a Florida personal injury claim
Daytona Beach, FL – When someone is injured in an accident, their first thought is to file a personal injury claim. It’s only natural, after all. You may be worried about rising medical expenses and you being off work for some time. You’ll need money so why not sue those responsible for your accident as soon as possible?
Unfortunately, it is not in your best interests to do so. Go to an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer and they will explain that you must wait until you reach the maximum medical improvement (MMI) point.
What is the maximum medical improvement point?
The maximum improvement point refers to the moment that you are fully recovered or as recovered as possible. That depends on the nature and the extent of your injuries.
For instance, if you break a leg in a car accident, your bone will heal in 6-8 weeks if it was a simple fracture. If your injury requires surgery, recovery may take a few months. Some injuries may never fully heal, you may be left with a permanent impairment. In that case, the maximum medical improvement point is when the doctors tell you there’s nothing more they can do.
Once you’ve reached the MMI, it is recommended that you get back to your normal life and see how it goes. Wait a couple of weeks to make sure that all the symptoms are gone and if there’s still something that’s bothering you tell your doctor right away. This is the moment when your Florida accident lawyers will be ready to proceed with your claim.
Why is reaching the MMI so important in a personal injury claim?
You cannot know how much your claim is worth until you’re fully recovered or you’ve reached the MMI and you know what the rest of your life is going to be like.
In a personal injury claim, you can recover economic damages and non-economic damages. Waiting to reach the MMI is essential to establishing your total medical expenses, which you can recover under economic damages.
If you settle too soon and you later need another surgery or additional rehabilitation therapy, you won’t be able to get it. The case is already closed.
The same goes for your lost wages. Should you need additional treatment, you’ll be forced to miss work for another few months. Even worse, you may discover that you’re no longer able to do the same work because of your physical limitations. You may need to look for an easier job and you’ll probably earn less. All these costs and lost future earnings need to be included in your personal injury claim settlement.
You may also want to wait until you’re recovered to see if your injuries won’t leave you with an impairment that will affect you for the rest of your life and force you to change your lifestyle or give up your favorite hobby.
Maybe your fracture won’t fully heal and you’ll be left with a limp so you won’t be able to play football anymore or go on hikes every other weekend like you used to do. You deserve to be compensated for this as well. Loss of enjoyment in life falls under non-economic damages, which compensate victims for mental and physical suffering.
If you want to get fair compensation for your injuries, just wait a few months before filing a personal injury claim.
If you were recently injured in an accident in the Daytona Beach area, schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer at Pappas & Russell PA as soon as possible. They will help you gather all the evidence you need and prepare your personal injury claim, while you can focus on your recovery
Contact info
Pappas & Russell PA
213 Silver Beach Avenue
Daytona Beach, Florida 32118
Phone: (386) 254-2941
