# Maximum medical improvement (MMI)

> Maximum medical improvement is the point at which doctors expect no further recovery. See why injury claims are often valued once you reach it.

Canonical page: https://accidentclaimfacts.com/glossary/maximum-medical-improvement/  
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team  
General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

## Quick answer

Maximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point at which doctors expect no further meaningful recovery. It does not mean you are fully healed; it means your condition has leveled off. Injury claims are often valued once you reach it.

## In a car accident claim

The term comes from workers' compensation. Texas workers' compensation law, for example, defines it in part as the earliest date after which, based on reasonable medical probability, further material recovery from or lasting improvement to an injury can no longer reasonably be anticipated. In car accident claims it is used more loosely, but the idea is the same.

Before MMI, nobody knows the full cost of an injury: whether you will need surgery, how long therapy will last or what limits will remain. Settling earlier risks leaving out costs you have not had yet, because a signed release usually ends the claim. That is why a demand letter is often sent once treatment ends or MMI is reached. After MMI, a doctor may give an impairment rating, often using the AMA Guides, which more than 40 states rely on. Future care still counts.

The filing deadline does not wait for MMI. Our guides to the [demand letter](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/claim-process/demand-letter/) and [how long a claim takes](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/claim-process/how-long-does-a-claim-take/) explain the timing.

## Example

> **Example:** Six months after a crash, a person's knee stops improving with therapy, and the surgeon says further gains are unlikely, though they will still need occasional injections. The claim is then put together with the bills so far, the surgeon's estimate of future care and the lasting limits on the knee.

## Related terms

- [Impairment rating](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/glossary/impairment-rating/)
- [Demand letter](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/glossary/demand-letter/)
- [Statute of limitations](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/glossary/statute-of-limitations/)

## FAQ

### Does maximum medical improvement mean I am healed?

No. It means your condition is not expected to improve much more. You may still have pain or limits or need ongoing care, and those can be part of a claim.

### What if the deadline to sue comes before I reach MMI?

The deadline does not wait for treatment to end. A lawsuit can be filed before MMI and the claim valued later; a licensed attorney in your state can explain the timing.

## Sources

- [Texas Legislature, Labor Code § 401.011](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/LA/htm/LA.401.htm) — definitions of maximum medical improvement and impairment rating
- [American Medical Association, AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment: an overview](https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/ama-guides/ama-guides-evaluation-permanent-impairment-overview), checked October 29, 2026