When you file a personal injury claim, one concern you may have is how a pre-existing condition impacts your case. Insurance companies often use old injuries or medical issues to downplay the effect of an accident. That does not mean you lose your right to compensation. Instead, it changes how your case is handled and what you need to prove.
Understanding pre-existing conditions in claims
A pre-existing condition is any health problem you had before the accident. This can include back pain, arthritis, or even prior surgery. Insurance companies sometimes argue that your current pain comes from the old condition, not the new accident. However, the law allows you to recover damages if the accident worsened your condition or created new injuries.
Proving that an accident made things worse
You must show that the accident aggravated your pre-existing condition. Medical records play an important role in this. Doctors can compare your health before and after the incident to show the changes. For example, if you had mild back pain before but now need ongoing treatment, that difference matters. The focus is not on whether you were healthy before, but on how the accident changed your condition.
The eggshell plaintiff rule
Minnesota follows the “eggshell plaintiff” rule. This means that a defendant must take you as you are, even if you are more fragile than the average person. If your pre-existing condition made your injury worse, the person responsible is still liable for the added harm. This prevents insurance companies from unfairly blaming your past health for your current struggles.
Accurate medical documentation strengthens your case. The clearer the timeline of your health, the harder it is for the other side to dismiss your injuries. Keep records of doctor visits, prescriptions, and treatments. Consistency in your medical history shows that the accident made your condition worse, not better.