A word about the AMA
The AMA or American Medical Association was originally founded in the mid-1800s and was incorporated 50 years later in 1897. It is the United States’ largest association of medical students as well as physicians. Approximately 22% of all the members of these two groups belong to the AMA despite a declining membership in recent years. The mission of the organization is to promote the art and the science of medical treatment and medicine as well as being a means of:
- Advancing the interests of both physicians and their patients
- Lobbying for favorable legislation for these physicians and their patients
- Raising money for medical education
- Promoting the public’s health
Additionally, $1 million is provided annually as tuition assistance to those students who are financially needy.
The importance of the AMA’s disability guidelines
As experienced Workers’ Compensation attorneys, we are oftentimes asked how we know when a case is ready to proceed to the settlement phase. The judgment is comprised of a number of important factors. The AMA’s disability guidelines are viewed as a physician’s required framework for assigning disability ratings to Workers’ Comp claimants.
The guidelines were designed and developed to assist physicians in the objective evaluation of the injuries and limitations resulting from those injuries of the claimant. There is a wide array of body systems that the AMA guidelines currently address including the following:
- Cardiovascular system
- Immune system
- Musculoskeletal system
These guidelines are used in Workers’ Compensation cases in the state of Georgia. A physician will assign a disability rating, and this disability rating will play a role in the workers’ comp case. It will sometimes effect the amount of benefits received, and it will sometimes influence the time of settlement. We often try to settle cases once a disability rating has been assigned and your doctor has said that you have reached “maximum medical improvement.”
Applications in a Workers’ Comp case
There are certain instances when we will challenge a disability rating’s validity if we feel that the physician who has conducted the evaluation has used too much subjectivity in the evaluating process. It follows suit that the more serious the injury to the claimant is and uncertainty regarding the future of the claimant, the higher that disability is going to be. Additionally, once that claimant is approaching what is referred to as the “maximum medical improvement,” this is the point in time when it may be wise to settle your workers’ comp case.
Once your physician begins to discuss issuing a disability rating, this is the point in time when having an experienced Worker’s Compensation attorney on your side can benefit you the most. For more information on how we can assist you with your Worker’s Comp claim and case, or to answer any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
