What Is Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)?

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) is a legal and medical benchmark that plays a critical role in determining the value and outcome of injury claims. It refers to the point at which an injured person’s condition is no longer expected to improve significantly, even with continued medical treatment. Reaching MMI does not mean the person has made a full recovery—it simply means their condition has stabilized and further improvement is unlikely.

MMI is central to all types of injury cases, including personal injury lawsuits, workers' compensation claims, third-party work injury matters, and even maritime injury cases.

MMI Doesn’t Mean You’re “Better”—It Means You’ve Plateaued

A common misconception is that MMI signals the end of treatment or that the injured person is fully healed. That’s rarely the case. For example, a warehouse worker in Texas who suffers a serious spinal injury may receive surgeries, physical therapy, and pain management for months. Eventually, their doctor may determine that the worker’s condition has improved as much as it reasonably can. They’re still in pain. They still can’t lift more than 10 pounds. But they’ve reached maximum medical improvement. That worker is now considered permanently impaired.

At that point, MMI becomes a turning point in the legal process: it’s when long-term compensation, such as impairment benefits, future medical costs, and diminished earning capacity, comes into play.

MMI in Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury Cases

In workers' compensation cases, MMI is a statutory milestone that triggers other legal and financial steps. The treating physician assigns an impairment rating after a worker reaches MMI, which directly impacts how much more they’ll receive in wage loss benefits.

Different states have varying applications of MMI to injury matters:

• In Texas, an injured worker is presumed to reach MMI after 104 weeks (2 years) of receiving Temporary Income Benefits (TIBs), per Texas Labor Code § 408.102. After this, they are evaluated for an impairment rating, and benefits shift to Impairment Income Benefits (IIBs)—calculated as 3 weeks of benefits for every 1% of whole-body impairment.
• In New Mexico, MMI is used to determine Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) or Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits. New Mexico also requires a physician to determine MMI based on accepted medical standards.
• In Louisiana, injured workers are evaluated for MMI to determine if they qualify for Supplemental Earnings Benefits (SEBs) or Permanent Total Disability benefits. Louisiana law under RS 23:1221 defines these categories and the process for obtaining them.

In personal injury cases, MMI helps quantify the long-term damages an injured person will endure. Medical experts can project future care needs, vocational experts can assess the impact on earning capacity, and economists can quantify the value of these losses.

With personal injury matters, there is no “cap” or cutoff date like there is in workers' comp—instead, it’s used to argue for future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

Why MMI Matters in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

MMI is often the foundation of a damages claim. For a catastrophic injury, it can determine the scope of care needed for decades to come. In a Texas personal injury lawsuit, let’s say a motorist sustains a traumatic brain injury after being involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler. After 12 months of rehab and therapy, their condition stabilizes. Doctors diagnose them with permanent cognitive impairment and limited motor function. This person is now at MMI—but they’re not healed. They’ll never go back to work, and they’ll need care for life.

It is important to document the full scope of losses tied to MMI, which in a case involving a traumatic brain injury, may be accomplished by working with neurologists, life care planners, economists, and other professionals. Insurers and corporate defendants must be prevented from minimizing or misrepresenting the long-term impact of serious injuries.

MMI in Maritime Injury Cases

In maritime and offshore injury cases, reaching MMI plays a critical role in determining what compensation an injured seaman is entitled to under the Jones Act and general maritime law. While an employer is obligated to provide “maintenance and cure” (medical treatment and daily living expenses) from the time of injury, those benefits typically stop once the injured worker reaches MMI.

But that doesn’t mean compensation ends. Once MMI is reached, injured maritime workers may pursue additional damages through a Jones Act claim if their injuries were caused by negligence or unseaworthiness. These damages can include loss of future earnings, medical care beyond MMI, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

MMI provides a crucial point of reference in offshore injury cases: it helps define the permanency of the injury and the long-term effects on a worker’s career and quality of life.

MMI & Industrial Injuries

For workers injured in plants and refineries, oilfields, and other industrial environments, MMI often marks a turning point in their injury case. These jobs involve high-risk conditions—heavy machinery, chemical exposure, combustible materials—and when something goes wrong, the injuries are typically serious and life-altering.

After a plant explosion, fall, crush injury, or toxic exposure, the road to recovery is long. Reaching Maximum Medical Improvement means a doctor has determined the worker’s condition won’t significantly improve. For someone with a spinal cord injury or severe burns, MMI might mean they’re permanently unable to return to the job they once had—or to any job at all. It may also mean chronic pain, depression, and a life forever changed.

In an industrial injury case, MMI isn’t the end of the fight—it’s when we double down. We build compelling evidence that holds employers, contractors, and equipment manufacturers accountable. Whether your injury happened in an oilfield outside San Antonio or at a chemical plant in Baton Rouge, our attorneys know how to prove what your case is truly worth.

Do You Stop Getting Compensation After MMI?

No, compensation doesn’t stop at MMI. In both workers’ comp and personal injury contexts, MMI simply shifts the nature of the compensation.

In workers’ compensation, benefits may decrease after MMI but don’t necessarily end. You may transition from Temporary to Permanent benefits, often at a reduced rate and limited duration based on impairment.

In personal injury lawsuits, reaching MMI may increase the claim’s value. It gives a clearer picture of future care needs, disability-related expenses, and non-economic damages like pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Why You Need an Attorney After Reaching MMI

Insurance companies frequently dispute MMI determinations or lowball impairment ratings to reduce payouts. In work injury cases, your employer’s insurance carrier may push for an early MMI declaration to avoid paying long-term benefits. In personal injury cases, they may argue your injuries aren’t as permanent or severe as they are.

This is where Arnold & Itkin steps in.

We’ve taken on—and beaten—the world’s biggest insurers and corporations because we know how to prove the truth about our clients’ injuries. We bring in experts, challenge unfair impairment ratings, and build a case that demands justice. Our track record speaks for itself: more than $20 billion won for people who deserved more than they were offered.

Contact a Top Personal Injury Attorney at Arnold & Itkin

Whether you’re fighting for fair compensation in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, or anywhere in the U.S., we’re here to help. Our lawyers know what it takes to win high-stakes injury claims, and we’re not afraid to go to trial to protect our clients’ futures. If you’ve reached MMI—or are worried about how it could affect your case—call us. We’ll walk you through what to expect, what your rights are, and how we can fight for every dollar you deserve.

Call us at (888) 493-1629 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation.