Will a pre-existing injury affect my accident claim?

Accidents don’t happen in isolation. Whilst being injured through no fault of your own is a terrible thing to happen, most injuries that happen in accidents are treatable and fortunately most of our accident victim clients go on to make a full recovery. However, if you are already suffering from an injury at the time of your accident, or you have long term health problems, then after an accident you might find that not only have you received new injuries, but your pre-existing injuries or health conditions have worsened. If that is the case, then here is some useful information about how pre-existing injuries can affect your accident claim.

Aggravating circumstances

Any accident that was serious enough to leave you with an injury has the potential to do further damage by aggravating a pre-existing injury or medical condition. If you are already suffering from an injury or a medical condition at the time of your accident, you might be less resilient; therefore any injury you do suffer might take longer to heal or might have a greater effect on your mobility than it would have done had you been in good health.

The effects that any deterioration in a pre-existing injury or medical condition may have on your life can be substantial. If the medical condition you suffer from limits your movement or your ability to lead an independent life, then any worsening of this condition in the accident might mean that you require further (and probably quite costly) help and assistance with everyday living. In some cases, the effects on your mobility might mean making big changes to your life, whether that means giving up your job, or receiving full-time care and assistance.

Affects on your claim

Regardless of the pre-existing injuries or medical conditions you may have been suffering from at the time of your accident any new injuries you suffer as a direct result of the accident will be included in any claim for compensation that you choose to make. However, where an injury has been aggravated by your involvement in the accident, then that will be factored into the amount of compensation that your solicitor will claim for you.

In order that your compensation claim properly reflects the injuries you have suffered and any deterioration in your pre-existing injuries or medical conditions you may have had at the time of your accident, your solicitor will arrange for you to attend a medical appointment where a doctor will examine your injuries and discuss your experiences after your accident. To find out more about claiming compensation after an accident that has affected pre-existing injuries or medical conditions, contact Camps Solicitors today and one of our claims advisors will be on hand to explain the claims process to you.