What Happens After Reaching MMI in a Colorado Workers’ Comp Case?

MMI marks the shift from recovery to long-term planning

A finding of MMI does not mean you are symptom free. It only means that additional reasonable medical treatment is unlikely to yield further improvement.^[1] Your physician can still prescribe maintenance care, such as periodic therapy or medication, when it helps prevent regression even after the MMI date.^[2]

Once you reach MMI, temporary disability benefits generally end and the carrier turns to permanent disability calculations—cross-check the benefits guide so you know which buckets remain open.^[3] The adjuster may also request updated work restrictions or vocational input to decide whether wage replacement benefits should shift to temporary partial or stop altogether.

If you disagree with the timing of the MMI decision, you can preserve the dispute by objecting to the carrier’s filing and requesting a Division Independent Medical Exam (DIME).^[5]

Impairment ratings: translating lasting loss into numbers

After issuing the MMI determination, a Level II accredited physician must evaluate you for permanent impairment and document the rating within 14 days.^[4] Colorado relies on the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Third Edition (Revised), to translate functional loss into a percentage for each body part or the whole person.^[4]

The impairment report should document the date of MMI, detail any permanent restrictions, outline maintenance care, and explain apportionment if pre-existing conditions contributed to the impairment.^[4]When the rating is issued, expect the carrier to analyze whether benefits fall under the scheduled loss table or the whole person framework.

Scheduled vs. whole person injuries change the benefit math

Colorado treats certain body parts such as fingers, limbs, vision, and other specified senses as “scheduled” impairments. Recovery for those losses is based on the statute’s table of weeks assigned to each member, multiplied by the impairment percentage and your benefit rate.^[4]

Injuries to the head, spine, torso, or other areas not listed in the schedule convert to a whole person rating. Whole person benefits consider the impairment percentage, an age factor, a statutory 400-week multiplier, and your temporary total disability rate, which can produce larger awards for serious systemic injuries.^[2][4]

When a single accident causes both scheduled and non-scheduled impairments, Colorado law converts the scheduled rating to its whole person equivalent before combining the values.^[4] Mental or emotional impairments are paired with physical ratings for cap purposes, but they are compensated separately when paid.

Calculating permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits

PPD benefits for scheduled losses follow a direct formula: weeks from the statutory schedule × impairment percentage × permanent disability rate.^[4] Because the schedule disregards age and wage differences, these awards can be modest even when day-to-day limitations remain.

Whole person PPD awards consider more data. You multiply the whole person impairment by your age factor, apply the 400-week multiplier, and then use your temporary total disability rate to arrive at the benefit total.^[2][4] The statute caps the combined value of temporary and permanent partial disability payments based on the statewide average weekly wage, so high impairment percentages still encounter a hard ceiling.^[6]

Each July, the Division publishes updated maximum rates and aggregate caps. Review the current benefit rate summary to align calculator outputs with the correct fiscal year figures.^[2]

Settlement dynamics after an impairment rating

The window after MMI is when many carriers explore settlement, particularly if ongoing maintenance care, job displacement, or disputed ratings could increase exposure. Lump-sum compromise agreements must still be approved by the Division, and any advance on indemnity benefits is discounted to present value under the statute.^[8]

You generally waive the right to reopen the claim (absent fraud or mutual mistake) once you sign a settlement, so confirm future medical needs, comp liens, and third-party recovery options before closing out benefits.^[9]Consider how a settlement interacts with any personal injury claim you may pursue against a negligent third party, and coordinate offsets to keep net recovery predictable.

Preserving objections to the Final Admission

Once the insurer accepts the MMI date and impairment rating, it issues a Final Admission of Liability. You have 30 days from the mailing date to object, request a DIME, or set the issue for hearing; silence closes the claim on any admitted issues.^[5][7]

File a written objection if you dispute the MMI date, impairment rating, maintenance care, disfigurement, apportionment, or vocational findings. If you miss the deadline, reopening later requires proving fraud, error, or a change in condition, which is a much higher bar.^[7]

Why legal guidance matters at MMI

The MMI stage is where benefit categories converge; scheduled and whole person math, potential DIMEs, and settlement leverage all depend on the accuracy of the permanent impairment rating. Experienced workers’ compensation counsel can spot misapplied AMA criteria, preserve evidence for a DIME, and coordinate any third-party recovery that may reduce the carrier’s lien exposure.^[5]

Use our Colorado workers’ compensation hub to pair these post-MMI steps with calculator projections, lien strategy, and practice-ready checklists.

Bottom line

Reaching MMI is more than a medical milestone; it is the transition point where permanent disability benefits, settlement options, and appellate rights take center stage. Track the deadlines tied to the Final Admission, review the impairment worksheet closely, and lean on specialists when you need to challenge an unfair rating or negotiate a comprehensive resolution.^[2][7]If your claim is still in the notice-and-filing phase, revisit the Colorado filing guide to keep the early tasks tight.