The effects of an Injured in a car accident are not uniform; they depend in part on the victim’s preexisting conditions. In the aftermath of an accident, the pressure techniques employed by insurance companies can have a disproportionate impact on people who already face significant challenges due to medical issues such as preexisting ones.
There is a widespread misconception that having a preexisting ailment lowers the value of your case, and insurance companies are only too eager to perpetuate this notion. It’s important to remember that if the vehicle accident exacerbated a preexisting ailment, you may have much more serious injuries and a stronger case as a result.
To the extent that your injuries exacerbate a preexisting condition, you are entitled to compensation under the law. However, if a past injury or other pre-existing medical condition plays a part, your legal situation gets more complicated.
Preexisting conditions that may worsen after a car crash
Certain preexisting conditions and injuries are more likely to worsen in a second collision, and these include:
We’ve all read the tragic accounts of the long-term effects of repeated concussions on retired NFL players and other sportsmen, and we’re all too aware of the dangers of playing contact sports. The severity and permanence of brain damage sustained from a vehicle accident head impact increase with a person’s history of concussions.
Fractures are more likely to occur in people with medical diseases that cause their bones to be more brittle, such as osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta. Brittle bones increase a person’s risk of internal traumas and spinal cord injuries, which are normally protected by the body’s skeleton.
The widespread discomfort caused by fibromyalgia can be distressing and can lead to disability. Accidents involving motor vehicles have been linked to either the beginning of fibromyalgia or the exacerbation of preexisting fibromyalgia in certain people, while the exact cause of the condition is not always known.
Automobile accidents can exacerbate the symptoms of preexisting degenerative illnesses including arthritis and degenerative disc disease, leaving victims in chronic discomfort.
Keep in mind that you could not have even known you had a pre-existing condition at the time of the accident and that it would affect your insurance. If you have a disease that only manifests itself subtly, it can still increase your risk of injury in an accident even if you don’t show any signs of it.
