Can I Be Compensated for Pre-Existing Conditions After a Car Accident?

Having a pre-existing injury or health condition can complicate an Alabama car accident claim. Do you know your rights if you get hurt in a car accident with a pre-existing medical condition? You can seek compensation, but the process may be more involved, and you might encounter more resistance from the insurance company.

What Are Pre-Existing Conditions in Car Accident Claims?

Pre-existing conditions are conditions that existed before the accident. Generally speaking, these should be well-documented injuries or other health conditions. While the accident may not have caused them directly, it has the potential to make them worse or exacerbate their symptoms.

Can You Still Get Compensation for a Pre-Existing Condition?

You may wonder, “Can I be compensated for pre-existing conditions?” If your pre-existing injury got worse after a car accident, yes, you may be eligible to recover compensation. However, you’ll have to establish a baseline for your injury and show how the accident made it worse.

To do so, you’ll need documentation of the injury or condition before the crash. If you were already undergoing treatment for the injury or condition, you should be able to support your claim with documentation of that treatment. Your claim must show how your condition after the accident differs from your condition before the crash occurred.

Common Types of Pre-Existing Conditions in Car Accident Cases

The force of a car accident can aggravate many injuries or health conditions. Some common examples include:

• Prior back or neck injuries, including herniated discs or chronic pain
• Arthritis or other joint conditions that become more painful after the crash
• Previous concussions or traumatic brain injuries with renewed symptoms
• Old fractures or surgical sites affected by the impact
• Mental health conditions, such as anxiety or PTSD, that worsen after the collision

How Insurance Companies Use Pre-Existing Conditions Against You

When an insurance company learns about a pre-existing condition, it may see this as an opportunity to call your claim into question. They may doubt the link between the accident and your symptoms, argue that your symptoms are unchanged from before the accident, or claim that the treatment you’re going through now is exclusively for the original condition and has nothing to do with the crash.

This doesn’t mean your claim is invalid. It just means you need strong documentation to support your case. Medical records, imaging, doctor notes about your medical history, and expert testimony can show how your condition changed after the accident and support your claim for fair compensation.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation About Your Pre-Existing Condition Case

If your pre-existing condition got worse after an Alabama car accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney familiar with the state’s strict liability laws who can investigate the crash, show how it changed your existing injury or condition, and explain how it required you to undergo additional or different treatment as a result. Stokes Stemle, LLC, has an extensive track record in complex accident cases and is committed to maximizing the value of your personal injury claim. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Alabama car accident lawyer.