Personal injury claims get their start in many ways. Maybe you were in a car accident while trying to make it out of the shopping mall’s parking lot during the holiday rush. Perhaps you slipped on ice in the lobby of the hotel where you were staying for Thanksgiving. Maybe you were hit by a drunk driver when you were driving home.
Whatever the cause, you can generally expect the insurance company for the other party to try to downplay your injuries or dismiss your claim outright based on any pre-existing condition you may have. They may say that your injured back is unrelated to your car accident because you already had degenerative arthritis in your spine. They may say that the problem with your hip had nothing to do with your recent fall because you had a fall several years earlier.
These are typical insurance strategies. Pre-existing conditions can be a reason to exclude an injury claim — but it isn’t automatic. In many cases, people are managing quite well with whatever medical conditions they already have until an act of negligence causes them additional injuries. The fact that you were already as “fragile as an egg” when you were involved in the wreck or other accident doesn’t relieve the guilty party from having to pay up.
Never take the insurance company’s word for it if you’re being told that your pre-existing condition bars you from recovering a fair settlement for your injuries. To learn more about your rights, continue to explore our page or contact us directly for an appointment to discuss your case.