Car Accidents and Pre-Existing Injuries: How They Affect Your Claim
Car accidents are the kind of events that occur immediately and can cause a lot of shock for many people. These accidents a lot of times cause injuries that are later proven in the courts in order to get a needed compensation amount for them.
But there are some times when there are existing injuries of a victim that can change the whole game. These can have serious impacts on the case of the victim. These pre-existing injuries can, a lot of times, be misunderstood, and other times can be misused in other cases.
A car accident attorney in Houston TX can help you understand the complexities that come with pre-existing injuries.
Impact of Car Accidents on Pre-Existing Injuries
Car accidents can increase the impact of pre-existing injuries in a really bad manner. This is usually due to the force and the sudden occurrence of an accident.
There are some of the factors that play a very vital role as far as someone’s pre-existing is concerned. Let’s have a look.
Whiplash Injury
Whiplash injury usually occurs when an accident causes a sudden jerk, due to which the person suffers a rear-end collision.
The head, in such cases, is forced forward and then backward. This causes extreme strain and damage to the soft tissues of the neck. People who deal with spinal or neck conditions usually get to feel intensified pain and stiffness.
Psychological Impact
Car accidents can also have a psychological impact on individuals. The existing anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder are also exacerbated when there are problems that are already there as a result of old accidents. However, the existing psychological challenges can get really difficult to handle if new accidents occur.
Acceleration and Deceleration
Car accidents, when occurring, involve changes in speed and direction. These forces can put stains on the muscles, joints, and ligaments. This then causes a lot of pain and discomfort for people who already are dealing with pre-existing muscles and skeletal pain issues like neck or back problems.
Navigating Through Insurance Claims
To deal with insurance claims when you already have pre-existing injuries can be really hard to tackle. It is very important to keep a few things in mind when it comes to dealing with insurance claims. Let’s have a look.
Medical Attention: Do not hesitate to get the needed and immediate medical attention when a car accident occurs, regardless of whether your injuries exist or not. Make sure to document all injuries, both new and pre-existing ones, as this documentation will be important for your claim.
Contact with Insurance Company: You need to tell your insurance company as soon as the accident occurs. This act should include all the details of the accident. This should include the side of the witnesses, their views, the driver’s data, and all the law enforcement reports if there are any.
Read your Policy: It is essential for everyone to make themselves familiar with the policy of the insurance that they have and what kind of coverage their insurance is offering. One must pay special attention to the coverage that is related to the expenses, including medical expenses, underinsured/uninsured coverage, and the personal injury policy (PIP).
The Role of Insurance Companies in Pre-Existing Injuries
In addressing the pre-existing injuries, the insurance companies do play a very important role. Here is what you need to know.
Determining the Liability: In order to find out the liability, there is no other resource that does the best than the insurance adjusters. They consider the facts that make it easy for them to know who was at fault and who would be responsible for paying the amount of compensation. So, this is one of the most important roles of the insurance companies.
Coverage Decision: The coverage for pre-existing injuries depends on the terms of the policy of the insurance that you have. Insurance companies will ask which medical expenses are covered after a proper review of the insurance policy. After doing that, they make a decision as to how much amount will be covered in each case.
Settlement of Claims: Insurance companies work with their clients in order to find the best route to find a settlement for the claims. This process includes a lot of negotiation. This is usually about the compensation for the injuries that are pre-existing, especially if they have become worse after the accident.
Conclusion
When it comes to pre-existing injuries, these can get pretty bad after some accidents, and they are not fully treated. But the role of insurance is really important, as the insurance companies decide on the amount of compensation that is to be paid by either of the companies. So, make sure that you contact the insurance company that provides the best payout in order to get you a just settlement.
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