• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

  • Whiplash
    • What is Whiplash?
    • How Long Does Whiplash Last?
  • Symptoms
  • Treatment
    • Exercises
    • Physiotherapy
    • Surgery
  • Compensation
  • Car Accident
    • What to Do When You Get in a Car Accident
    • The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
    • Wrong Way Car Crash
    • Why Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer?
    • Injuries
      • Brain Injury
      • Delayed Injuries
      • Head Injury
      • Leg Injury
    • T-Bone Accident
    • Uninsured Motorist
    • Who Pays My Medical Bills?
  • Whiplash St. Louis Blog

How a Pre-Existing Condition Can Impact Your Car Accident Claim

November 10, 2020 by Christopher

The truth is, your pre-existing condition will likely become a debated topic in the negotiations with the insurance company.

People are usually not in a perfect state of health before entering the process of a car accident claim. However, some of them may be suffering from a pre-existing condition, which is a condition that was diagnosed before the car accident occurred, and for which, a car accident victim had been receiving some form of treatment.

car accident doctor

If this is a similar situation to the one you’re in, you may be wondering how your pre-existing condition affects your claim. The truth is, it will likely become a debated topic in the negotiations with the insurance company.

Car Accident Claims and Pre-Existing Conditions

A car accident claim will not pay for any treatment you have for pre-existing conditions, however it should generally cover the costs of additional treatments if the car accident made your condition worse. This is the general rule, but as you might expect, there is a lot of room for interpretation.

Let’s put it into context. Say you were diagnosed with anxiety before the accident and were seeing a therapist regularly to take care of your condition. If you are involved in a car accident, the settlement will not include the cost of therapy because in this case anxiety is a pre-existing condition and the car accident is not responsible for it.

However, the event could make your condition worse. Your therapist may need to put you on medication because of it, in which case you can argue that your settlement should include the cost of the medication. You did not need this treatment before, but the car accident made your condition worse.

How a Pre-Existing Condition Can Hurt Your Claim

The problem with pre-existing conditions in car accidents is that you can’t prove that the car accident is the sole reason a condition got worse. Using the previous example, it will be hard to show that the car accident was the only event that leads to worse anxiety and the need for medication.

The insurance company may try to argue that some other event may be responsible, for example, a recent death in the family. Or, even if such an event does not exist, there is no way to know if the anxiety would not have gotten worse because of the nature of the condition itself, and the car accident just happened to occur.

How an Attorney Can Help!

If you suffer from a pre-existing condition and get involved in a car accident, don’t get discouraged. Speak with an experienced St. Louis car injury lawyer as soon as possible, to ensure you get the full amount of compensation you are legally entitled to.

Pre-existing conditions can complicate such claims. However, an experienced lawyer will understand how to build a strong case and make sure the insurance company doesn’t get its way. The fact that you were not in perfect health at the time of the accident should not mean you don’t get compensated.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Related Posts:

  • St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
    St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
  • Pre Existing Injury Aggravated in Car Accident
    Pre Existing Injury Aggravated in Car Accident
  • When to Get a Lawyer in a St. Louis Car Accident
    When to Get a Lawyer in a St. Louis Car Accident
  • St. Louis Car Accident Involving an Uninsured Driver
    St. Louis Car Accident Involving an Uninsured Driver
  • When Is It Too Late to Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Attorney?
    When Is It Too Late to Hire a St. Louis Car Accident…
  • How Much Money Do You Get From a Car Accident Settlement?
    How Much Money Do You Get From a Car Accident Settlement?

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: Pre-Existing Injury

Footer

The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.
130 S Bemiston Ave # 603
St. Louis, MO 63105
(314) 361-4242

Free Consultation Request

    RSS St. Louis Car Accident Attorney – Car Accident Lawyer St. Louis

    • 5 Common Types of Accidents Caused By Drunk Drivers
    • Daylight Savings Time Car Accidents – St. Louis Accident Lawyer
    • The 5 Steps of the Mediation Process for a St. Louis Car Accident
    • Step to Appeal a Denied St. Louis Car Accident Claim
    • 4 Unique Driver Distractions St. Louis Uber and Lyft Drivers Face
    • 5 Tips to Prevent Texting and Driving Car Accidents in St. Louis
    • Soft Tissue Injuries From St. Louis Car Accident – Common Misconceptions
    • Foot and Ankle Pain From a St. Louis Car Accident
    • Spinal Cord Injury Pain After a St. Louis Car Accident
    • Injured in an Uber or Lyft Accident in St. Louis? Know Your Options for Compensation

    Copyright © 2023 The Hoffmann Law Firm L.L.C.
    The images included on this site are not actual attorneys, events, or clients. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Attorney Chris Hoffmann handles car and truck accident claims throughout Eastern Missouri and Western Illinois. He represents injured clients in St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Peters, Clayton, East St. Louis, Alton, Hillsboro and Belleville, and other cities in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson Country, MO, and St. Clair County and Madison County, IL.