Can a Preexisting Injury Impact My Car Accident Case?
Many people have conditions from previous injuries that they are living with. When you get into a car crash, it is entirely possible that the impact can worsen your preexisting condition, requiring additional medical care and presenting more challenges than you previously faced.
A preexisting condition should never negate your rights to compensation for car accident-related injuries and losses. However, insurance companies often use your condition as justification to try to limit your financial recovery and challenge your claim.
If you suffered injuries in a crash and had a preexisting condition or injury, you need help from an experienced car accident lawyer in Sarasota.
What is a Preexisting Condition?
A preexisting physical condition is a medical condition or injury that an individual involved in an accident already had prior to the accident. Common examples of preexisting injuries include:
- Herniated disc or degenerative disc disease
- Joint conditions or injuries
- Lower back injuries
- Fractures that already healed
- Hernias
- Arthritis
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Fibromyalgia and pain disorders
- Pinched nerves
Any of these conditions - and more - can be exacerbated or reinjured in a car crash.
Seeking Compensation When You Have a Preexisting Condition
Following a car accident, you can only seek damages for the injuries and aggravations that stemmed from the crash itself. While insurance companies do not like to acknowledge that it is the law in Florida, you certainly can seek financial recovery for the worsening or aggravation of a prior injury, as well as the medical care you needed due to the worsened condition.
For example:
- You have a herniated disc, and you were undergoing physical therapy, which was successful in treating your injury and reducing your pain. A rear-end crash significantly exacerbates the herniated disc, causing much higher levels of pain and requiring surgery to repair. You can seek compensation for the surgical costs and related losses since the accident worsened your injury.
Let an experienced Sarasota car accident attorney handle your claim and present all evidence to the insurance company. We have taken cases to trial involving the aggravation of pre-existing conditions. We know how to prove that an accident worsened your condition, and that you deserve compensation.
Let a Sarasota Car Accident Attorney Help You
At Matthews Injury Law, we take on cases involving obstacles and challenges such as preexisting conditions, and we will stand up for your rights. Contact us for a free case evaluation and discussion right away.