If you are injured in an accident, whether at work, on the highway, in a public place, or even on private property, it can sometimes be easy to determine your damages. If you broke your leg, suffered a concussion, or sustained cuts and/or bruises, for example, it is easy to evaluate the medical expenses, time lost from work, and the pain you experienced during your recovery. Not all victims, however, are in perfect health before an accident. You might still be recovering from a previous accident or injury. You might have a chronic condition that causes intermittent or constant pain. You may even have a condition that makes you more susceptible to certain injuries.
Eggshell Doctrine
It is well established in personal injury law that the prior condition cannot be used against an injured person, even if their condition makes them more susceptible to injury than the average person. For example, a person who has had prior back injuries, surgery, or other procedures may suffer aggravation from those injuries or sustain new injuries in a crash that may have caused little to no damage to someone who didn’t have a pre-existing condition. Nevertheless, the person responsible for an accident is responsible for all injuries in such a situation.
Proving Damages
To make a successful claim for damages when an injured person has pre-existing conditions, it will be necessary to determine with as much accuracy as possible the person’s condition both before and after the new injury. This will involve obtaining detailed medical records, the person’s work history, and in many cases, testimony from the injured person, their family members or caretakers, and medical professionals.
Proving out of pocket expenses, such as medical expenses and lost wages, may be fairly straightforward. If the person was seeing his doctor, chiropractor, or receiving other medical treatment once a month prior to the new injury and then more often after the new injury, the amount of increased medical expenses can be calculated with accuracy. If he was back at work following a job injury but had to miss work following the new accident, lost wages are easy to determine. Determining damages for pain and suffering is more difficult when an injured person has a prior injury or a pre-existing condition. It will be necessary to determine what the person’s level of activity and level of pain was both before and after the new accident or injury.
New York Accident Attorneys
Insurance companies are in business to make money, and that means limiting the amounts they pay out in claims. Insurance adjusters will try to use your pre-existing conditions against you. It is vital to call an experienced accident attorney as soon as possible so the evidence needed to establish the damages you incurred from the new accident or injury can be gathered and preserved. The accident experts at O’Brien & Ford are always available for free consultations. Visit our website at https://obrienfoldprd.wpenginepowered.com to learn more.