How Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Affect an Injury Claim
March 27, 2023
If you have been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim. But what if you already have a pre-existing medical condition? What if the injury is complicated by a pre-existing medical condition? Is it still possible to receive compensation for your injuries?
For those with pre-existing medical conditions, it is essential to understand how those conditions could affect their personal injury claim. Each case is unique, which is why you need to work with an experienced attorney to discuss your particular situation.
At Life Law, our personal injury attorneys help injured victims overcome the defense that their pre-existing conditions are to blame for their expenses and losses. With an office in Raleigh, North Carolina, Life Law serves victims throughout the state, including Charlotte, Wilmington, Asheville, and Nags Head.
Qualifying for Personal Injury Compensation
In order to qualify for compensation in a personal injury claim, you must be able to prove that the other party was responsible for causing your injuries. You must also show that these injuries resulted in economic damages, such as medical bills or lost wages from taking time off work due to your injuries, or non-economic damages (e.g., pain and suffering, mental anguish, etc.). To prove these points, you will need evidence such as photos of the accident scene, witness statements, medical records, and more.
What Qualifies as a Pre-Existing Condition?
A pre-existing condition is any injury or illness that existed prior to the current incident. This can include anything from chronic pain or arthritis to cancer or heart disease. Even if the pre-existing condition has nothing to do with your current injuries directly, it could still complicate matters when filing a personal injury claim.
How a Pre-Existing Condition Can Affect a Claim
A pre-existing condition can make it difficult to determine what amount of compensation you are entitled to receive for your current injuries. For example, if you had ongoing back pain from an old injury but were involved in an accident that exacerbated this pain and caused additional damage, it will be difficult for both parties (yourself and the other party) to agree on how much of this new damage should be attributed directly to the accident and how much should be attributed solely to your pre-existing condition.
This is why it’s highly recommended that you work with an experienced attorney who has experience handling cases involving pre-existing conditions. An attorney can help you understand how much of your current damages are related directly to the accident and how much are related solely or partially due to your existing condition(s).
They can also help negotiate with the other party and build a strong case on your behalf so that you receive fair compensation for all of your losses—not just those related directly to the accident itself but also those caused by any existing medical conditions that were exacerbated by the incident at hand.
Why You Should Hire an Attorney If You Have a Pre-Existing Condition
The process of filing a personal injury lawsuit against another person or company is complicated enough without having a pre-existing medical condition thrown into the mix. This is why it’s essential that anyone with pre-existing conditions seeks legal guidance. Attorneys know how to best navigate these types of claims successfully.
An experienced lawyer can help ensure that all aspects of your case are properly taken care of so that you get full and fair compensation for all of your losses—even those related indirectly or partially due to pre-existing conditions which may have been aggravated by this recent incident.
Turn to Life Law for Guidance
Navigating the personal injury claims process can be confusing and overwhelming, but even more so when you have a pre-existing medical condition. With solid legal assistance, coupled with thorough documentation regarding any existing medical issues you may have had prior, you can ensure that your case is properly taken care of and you get the compensation to which you are entitled. Contact Life Law for knowledgeable and dependable legal assistance.