How Do Pre-Existing Conditions Impact Personal Injury Claims?

If you were injured in an Oregon car accident but also had pre-existing injuries before your accident happened, obtaining compensation is possible. Still, it won’t come without pushback from the insurance company and their adjuster. When a claim is filed against an insurance company, an adjuster assigned to the case will be tasked with investigating it and looking for issues that they can use to minimize payments or deny claims. The bottom line is that no insurance company wants to pay fair compensation to victims.

 It should be expected that when an insurance company investigates a claim, if they discover a claimant has a pre-existing condition, they will use this to their advantage. They will try to downplay injuries the claimant suffered and say that the claimed injury is not from the accident but, instead, from a pre-existing condition.

 Personal injury attorneys know the ways that insurance companies operate and the tactics they engage in. Experienced attorneys also know how to respond to insurance adjusters trying to reduce the payment that a claimant is owed. Therefore, after an injury accident, claimants can benefit from having an attorney on their side representing their interests. For assistance in Oregon, claimants can call the Portland personal injury attorneys at Rosenbaum Law Group.

 Pre-existing Conditions and Recovering Compensation from a Claim 

When an injury accident happens, it has the potential to aggravate a pre-existing condition or cause a new injury to a vulnerable body part. Having a pre-existing condition may be an issue, but it shouldn’t prevent an injury victim from obtaining a reasonable amount of compensation.

 Since it is the claimant’s responsibility to show both that another person’s negligence caused the accident and the accident directly caused the victim’s injuries, having an attorney’s assistance can be incredibly advantageous. An attorney will know how to prove fault, causation, and the full extent of the damages a claimant suffered.

 Whether you have a pre-existing condition or not, it is always recommended that after an injury accident, you do not delay in seeking medical attention. Doing so begins documenting your medical treatment and diagnoses. If you do have a pre-existing injury, when you see a doctor, talk with them about how your condition now is different from what it was before the accident.

 Speak to an Oregon Personal Injury Today 

Pre-existing conditions do not bar someone from obtaining the compensation they are entitled to for physical bodily harm they sustained in an injury accident, it merely changes it. While insurance adjusters will try to use a pre-existing condition as an excuse for minimizing damages or denying compensation, an attorney can combat these attempts and negotiate a fair settlement. Please call a Portland, OR,  personal injury lawyer at Rosenbaum Law Group at (503) 288-8000 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney.