Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorneys

Can I Still Get Money On A Claim If It Only Made A Pre-Existing Condition Worse?

Can I Still Get Money On A Claim If It Only Made A Pre-Existing Condition Worse?

You can still be compensated if the accident only made a pre-existing condition worse, such as making a back or knee injury worse. However, you need medical proof to connect the worsening of your pre-existing condition to the accident. This means you need a doctor to say that the accident worsened your condition.

Never forget that insurance companies are not your friend. They make their money by denying claims, not helping victims prove their claims. And they love to pick apart an accident victims’ medical records in an attempt to prove the insurance company or their insured is not responsible for the injured person’s physical condition, medical bills or pain and suffering.

So, it would help if you were not surprised when the insurance company tried to pin all your pain, suffering and medical bills on your pre-existing condition. Properly handled, you can prove that an accident aggravated your pre-existing injury—particularly if the collision was a forceful one as demonstrated by the damage to your car. It only makes sense when you think about it—a part of your already damaged body is more vulnerable to further injury. When asked this directly, most medical providers will have to admit that this is true.

To help your medical provider prove that the collision or accident aggravated a pre-existing condition, here are some things you can do:

  • Always seek medical care immediately after the collision. Even if you don’t think you are hurt that badly at first, go to a doctor or hospital ER. Why? Because the medical provider documents the closer to the accident your pain complaints, the harder it is for the insurance company to argue that your pre-existing condition caused your pain, not the collision or accident.
  • Describe your symptoms in detail. Start at the top of your head and name every part of your body that is hurting, tingling, numb or just feeling strange since the accident. Don’t limit your complaints to only what is hurting when talking to the medical provider. Report everything you have experienced since the collision or accident. Remember, it does not happen if it’s not written in a medical report for all practical purposes. For example, say your low back hurts only a little bit after the accident, and you decide not to mention it. Your back pain increases, and three months later, you find you need surgery. Will you show the collision or accident that cause you to need surgery? Probably not. So, mention everything.
  • Don’t be afraid of being honest with your medical provider. For instance, let’s say that three years before the wreck, you required low back surgery. After the surgery, you might still have pain from time to time, but you went back to work, you stayed active, and you didn’t need further medical care. It’s OK to tell the doctor or medical provider that while you had back surgery three years ago, you had well recovered until right aft3er the accident or collision. This helps the doctor show that this weakened part of your body was re-injured.
  • Be Careful before talking to an insurance company about your injury claim before talking to an attorney first. The attorneys at Dennis and King will guide you through what you should and should not say to the insurance company or your future medical providers.

Call us at (423) 892-5533 to schedule your FREE consultation about your injury claim. We can guide you through the complicated process of proving that the accident or collision aggravated your pre-existing injury.

By |2022-03-14T20:23:17-04:00January 19th, 2022|Accidents|0 Comments
Personal injury attorneys - Cover of the the "know your rights after a serious car accident" PDF

FREE GUIDE

Your Rights After A Serious Car Accident

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Looking for more free resources to help you with your personal injury claim?

$1,150,000

Auto Accident Settlement

$1,000,000

ATV Accident
Settlement

$650,000

Auto Accident Settlement

$600,000

Tractor Trailer Accident

$400,000

Tractor Trailer Accident

$300,000

Auto Accident Settlement

$300,000

Tractor Trailer Accident

$300,000

Auto Accident Settlement

$245,000

Motorcycle Accident Settlement

OUR SERVICES & REVIEWS

A Personal Approach for Accident Victims

Personal Injury

Car Accidents

Truck Accidents

Motorcycle Accidents

ATV Accidents

BICYCLE ACCIDENTS

BOATING ACCIDENTS

NURSING HOME ABUSE

PREMISE LIABILITY

Personal injury 

In almost all personal injury claims, insurance companies will offer you significantly less than what you deserve. It’s tempting to accept the first offer, especially if you are in a great deal of pain and unable to return to work. But if you’ve already taken a devalued settlement from the insurance company and your medical bills start to pile up, there’s little legal recourse to ask for more. That’s why it’s crucial to involve a Chattanooga personal injury lawyer before you even file a claim.

About Personal Injury >

Car Accidents

Chattanooga car accident lawyers Tricia Dennis and Russell King have recovered millions of dollars in Georgia and Tennessee for car and motor vehicle accident victims like you.  If you or a loved one has been injured and need help with your medical bills, then you have come to the right place.   Auto accident victims and their family members in East Tennessee and North Georgia can confidently rely on the experienced auto accident attorneys at Dennis and King. We are the law firm that has compassionately, yet effectively, helped victims and their loved ones navigate the aftermath of difficult situations.

Our Car Accident Lawyers >

Trucking Accidents

Truck accidents in the United States are on the rise. Recent statistics show that almost 150,000 people are injured in truck accidents each year, and 6,000 people are killed. The regional area of Georgia and Tennessee is a crossroads and a center for car manufacturing, river traffic, and other industries. Large trucks, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and other commercial vehicles are constantly on the road. This has a downside as frequent truck accidents occur on I-75, I-24, I-59, Highway 153, U.S. 27, Amnicola Highway, Corridor J, and other roadways. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Georgia or Tennessee truck accident, you may be eligible for substantial compensation.

Our Truck Accident Lawyers >

Motorcycle Accidents

Experienced Chattanooga motorcycle accident lawyers Tricia Dennis and Russell King are avid fans of motorcycles, but they also realize how serious motorcycle accidents can be. With over 75 years of combined experience, Dennis and King Injury Law knows the legal process to achieve fair compensation for motorcycle crash victims. Contact one of our lawyers today to learn more about how to start your motorcycle accident claim.

About Motorcycle Accidents >

ATV Accidents

Under both Tennessee and Georgia law, ATVs are not authorized for use on paved road, but children continue to bring ATVs on to our roads and highways. Georgia and Tennessee laws also prohibit the carrying of passengers on most ATVs, require children below the age of 16 to take approved ATV training courses, and require kids younger than 16 to wear helmets, eye protection, and over-the-ankle boots when operating ATVs. However, these requirements apply only when ATVs are operated on public lands, leaving kids essentially without protection when riding ATVs on private property.

About ATV Accidents >

Bicycle Accidents

The most tragic type of bicycle crash is a bike-car collision. Cyclists are completely defenseless traveling on 30-pound bikes when they’re surrounded by 3,000-pound cars and trucks racing by them. Pedestrians, defective bike parts, recalled bike helmets, and other ineffective bicycle safety equipment can also cause bicycle accidents. Bike accidents can result in wrongful death or serious injuries such as broken bones, amputation, traumatic brain injury, neck, back, and spinal cord injuries.

About Bicycle Accidents >

Boating Accidents

One of three factors usually cause boat accidents: an inexperienced boater, an intoxicated operator, or a boat malfunction. More than a third of both fatal and non-fatal boat accidents are alcohol-related. It is estimated that boat operators with a blood alcohol content of .10 or higher are 10 times more likely to be injured or killed in a boat accident than sober operators.

About Boating Accidents >

Nursing Home Abuse

No one ever expects a family member or friend to be the victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home. However, abuse and neglect do occur every day and in many ways.

Dennis and King are Chattanooga nursing home abuse attorneys who will fight to recover all that you and your loved one deserve. With our experience in nursing home negligence matters, we thoroughly and carefully assess each individual case. We prepare each case for either settlement or trial in order to obtain compensation for injury, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. We help victims and their families hold these facilities accountable.

About Nursing Home Abuse >

Premises Liability

Premises liability is a vital facet of personal injury law, placing responsibility on property owners for maintaining a safe environment. When accidents occur due to negligence or hazardous conditions on someone’s property, victims have the right to seek compensation. This encompasses incidents like slip and falls or inadequate security leading to assaults. Dennis and King excel in handling these complex cases, tirelessly pursuing justice for our clients.

About Slip and Fall Injuries >

OUR TEAM IS STANDING BY

Free Strategy Session

During your initial strategy session, we will assist you in creating a strategy in how to best pursue your claim, whether it be the result of a car accident claim, 18 wheeler injury, or, other kind of personal injury claim.

There are 5 points to your free claim strategy session:

  • First, we will listen to your story. You will have a chance to tell everything to someone who wants to hear what happened to you.
  • Based on the information you provide, we will give you our best advice on both what claims you have and the next steps you should consider to go forward with your claim.
  • If you claim is something that we think we can help you with, we will explain the services that we can provide for you, and what the next steps are that we should take. We will start working immediately.
  • If your matter is something that we do not think we can help you with, then we will attempt to put you in contact with another lawyer that might be able to help you.
  • Either way, what should happen is we will put to rest some of the unknowns that you may be experiencing. We will start to shed light on what you can expect and how to best pursue the benefits you deserve.