In Illinois, more than 310,000 car accidents occur each year – an average of 874 crashes per day. In about 21.5% of those Illinois vehicle accidents, people suffered injuries. Sometimes, unfortunately, those injuries may aggravate prior injuries or conditions. So, if you are unlucky and aggravate a pre-existing condition in a car crash, how does that impact your injury claim?
Aggravating a pre-existing condition in an accident
When you have a prior injury or condition aggravated by a vehicle accident, you must provide hard medical evidence of how the accident made your prior condition worse. You will need to show how your symptoms are worse now than they were before the accident. For example, if you experienced low back pain occasionally before the accident, perhaps when you were pregnant with your children or after several hours of yardwork, you need to show how your back pain is more severe now and more constant. Maybe you could manage your back pain through exercise and over-the-counter pain relievers before, but now you can’t.
Also, aggravating a pre-existing injury in a vehicle accident can make you more vulnerable to future injury too. For example, if you suffer a spine injury in a car crash, aggravating a prior condition, you now may need surgery to correct it. Now, that area you had surgery on is a weak spot in your spine. So, you are more likely to suffer additional injuries if you are involved in another car accident. This reality can impact your personal injury claim.
Getting help with an injury claim after an accident
You should consult with a personal injury attorney if you aggravated a pre-existing condition in a car accident. You want someone who can help you show the insurance company how your prior condition worsened as the result of the accident. You want an advocate who can push for you to receive maximum compensation for your accident injuries.
You shouldn’t have to suffer after aggravating a prior injury in a vehicle accident. You want to get the compensation you need to get proper medical treatment for your injuries so you can focus on recovering fully.