Getting hurt in a car accident is stressful enough. If you already had a bad back, an old injury, arthritis, migraines, or another health condition before the crash, there can be an extra worry: “What if they blame all of this on what I already had?”
That concern might make you tempted to leave out parts of your medical history or assume your previous condition isn’t worth mentioning.
In practice, being straightforward about what your condition was like before the accident and what changed afterward is much more useful.
Tell Your Doctor What Was Happening Before the Accident
Your doctor needs to know about existing health conditions, previous injuries, and any treatment you were already receiving.
That isn’t something you need to hide because you’re worried it will hurt a potential claim. Your doctor needs an accurate picture of your health to understand what you’re experiencing now and decide what treatment is appropriate.
The important part is being specific about what has changed. If you had occasional back pain before the accident, but now you’re struggling to sit at your desk for an hour, say that. If you were taking medication before the crash but now need additional treatment, tell your doctor. If you were able to exercise, work, sleep normally, or carry out everyday activities before the accident and can’t now, explain that too.
Don’t exaggerate what happened before the crash, but don’t minimize it either. An accurate history is more useful than trying to give the “right” answer.
Start Keeping a Simple Symptom Journal
You don’t need a complicated spreadsheet or notebook full of medical terminology. A few lines on your phone each day can be enough.
Write down things such as:
- What symptoms you are experiencing
- How severe they are
- What activities make them worse
- Whether you need to take medication or have changed how often you take it
- Whether you’ve had to miss work or change your normal routine
- Appointments or treatment you attend
- Anything you could do before the accident that you’re struggling with now.
Pain and symptoms can blur together after a stressful event, and it can be surprisingly difficult to remember exactly when something changed several weeks later.
You may also find it useful to save appointment confirmations, prescriptions, receipts, and other paperwork rather than trying to find them later.
None of this needs to become an obsession or take up too much time. The goal is to create a reliable timeline while the details are fresh.
Don’t Skip Follow-Up Appointments
If your doctor recommends a follow-up appointment, physical therapy, or another form of treatment, don’t stop because you’re starting to feel better without discussing it with them first.
Symptoms can improve and then return, or you may still need to complete a course of treatment even if you’re feeling better. Your doctor or therapist can tell you whether it’s appropriate to reduce or stop treatment, rather than you having to make that decision yourself.
At the same time, don’t assume that more treatment is always better. You shouldn’t continue appointments, medication, or therapy that your healthcare provider no longer thinks you need just because you believe it might strengthen a claim.
The important thing is to follow the medical advice you’re given and tell your healthcare provider honestly whether your symptoms improve, stay the same, or get worse.
If you can’t attend an appointment, follow the provider’s process for rearranging it. Keeping your treatment consistent can also help you understand whether you’re genuinely improving over time.
Be Careful When an Insurance Adjuster Starts Asking Questions
An insurance adjuster may ask about previous injuries, medical conditions, doctors you’ve seen, or symptoms you had before the accident. You may suddenly find yourself trying to remember exactly when you last experienced back pain three years ago.
It’s easy to feel as though you’re being accused of something, but try not to approach the conversation as though you need to prove that you were perfectly healthy before the crash. You don’t need to rewrite your medical history.
A few things people commonly say in the early stages can cause problems later, though.
For example:
“I’ve always had this pain, so I guess it’s nothing new.”
“I was completely fine before the accident.”
“It probably isn’t worth mentioning that old injury.”
“I don’t remember exactly, but I think I’ve had this problem for years.”
Those statements may sound harmless in the moment, particularly when you’re tired, sore, or trying to get through an insurance call. But broad statements about your medical history can be difficult to explain or put into context later.
A better approach is to be accurate. If you don’t remember something, just say you don’t remember. If a symptom existed before but changed after the accident, explain the difference.
You also don’t have to diagnose yourself. That’s what your healthcare providers are there to do.
Keep Your Everyday Life as Normal as Possible
One of the easiest things to overlook after an accident is how much your symptoms affect your everyday life.
Maybe you normally walk the dog every evening, but now your partner has to do it. Perhaps you can’t lift your child, cook for as long as you usually would, or sit through a full working day without taking more breaks. Those changes are worth noting.
You don’t need to photograph every difficult moment or document every minor inconvenience. A simple note about meaningful changes to your normal routine can be much easier to keep up with and more useful to you later.
When Should You Speak to an Attorney?
Not every accident involving an existing health condition requires a lawyer. If the accident was minor, your injuries are straightforward, the insurer is handling the claim without dispute, and you’re comfortable managing the process yourself, you may decide to deal with the claim directly.
However, it can be worth getting legal advice if your injuries are significant, your symptoms have become substantially worse, the insurance company is disputing whether the accident caused your problems, or you’re being asked detailed questions about your medical history that you aren’t sure how to answer.
The same applies if you’re being pressured to accept a settlement before you understand what it covers.
Getting advice from a personal injury lawyer doesn’t necessarily mean taking a case to court. It can simply give you a clearer understanding of your options before you make an important decision.
Focus on What Changed
Having a health condition before a car accident doesn’t mean you should ignore your medical history or pretend the condition never existed.
Be honest with your doctors, keep track of meaningful changes, attend the treatment you’re advised to, and keep important paperwork. Be careful about making off-the-cuff statements about your health when you don’t have the full picture in front of you.
Most importantly, focus on what you actually experienced. You don’t need to prove that you had a completely clean bill of health before the accident. The goal is to explain, as accurately as possible, what your health was like before the crash and what changed afterward.
If you’re struggling with that process or an insurance company is challenging your claim, The Clardy Law Firm can discuss the circumstances with you and explain what options may be available.
