Preexisting Conditions and Personal Injury Claims: What You Need to Know

Video Transcript

If you’re wondering whether a preexisting condition ruins your personal injury case, the answer is not necessarily at all. A lot of people have something in their medical history — prior back pain, arthritis, an old knee injury, a previous surgery. What matters is whether the accident caused a new injury or aggravated a preexisting condition, meaning it made an existing problem worse. Insurance companies love to point to prior records and say this was already here. A well-handled case doesn’t hide your history; it explains it honestly and clearly — what your baseline was before the accident, what changed afterward, and how the medical records support that change. The key is consistency. Get appropriate medical treatment and be truthful with your providers. A good lawyer will know how to build a credible case even when there’s prior history.