Injured with a Pre-Existing Condition? How Snellings Law Protects You from Insurance Company Tactics

When you are hurt in an accident, you expect the other driver’s insurance company to take responsibility. However, if you have ever had a prior injury, insurance companies will often try to use that against you. They may claim your pain was already there or that your problems are only part of the normal aging process. Even something small might be used to minimize your claim.

At Snellings Law, we know how frustrating this feels. Our clients are often well-insured, careful drivers who never expected to be treated unfairly after someone else’s mistake. Yet, insurance companies still try to minimize claims by blaming their new injury on a past condition.

Here’s what you need to know about these challenges and how our team helps you overcome them.

Pre-Existing Injury Challenges

If you’ve ever had back pain, arthritis, or even an old sports injury, insurance companies will try to use it as an excuse. They may say the accident didn’t cause new harm, and they will argue that your current problems have nothing to do with the crash.

Many injured people worry about this. They think, “Since I already had back issues, I probably don’t have a case.” That fear is exactly what the insurance company wants.

Our Approach

We remind clients that the law holds negligent drivers responsible when they make a condition worse. Even if you had a prior injury, you deserve recovery if the accident aggravated it. We work with medical experts to explain the difference between old pain and new injuries.

Protecting Your Medical Privacy

One of the first things insurers do is ask you to sign broad medical authorizations. These forms give them access to your entire medical history. That means they can look into unrelated doctor visits, previous conditions, or personal health matters that have nothing to do with your accident.

This is not about fairness. It’s about digging for anything they can use against you.

Our Approach

We make sure only the necessary medical information is shared. We push back when insurers try to invade your privacy. Our clients can feel confident that we are protecting their dignity as well as their legal rights.

Sorting Through Medical Records

Medical records are often long and confusing. They are filled with technical terms, abbreviations, and notes that don’t make sense to the average person. Victims sometimes feel overwhelmed trying to prove what happened to them.

It’s also hard to tell which parts of your health issues are new and which are old. Without medical training, separating the two can feel impossible.

Our Approach

Our team works with doctors to carefully review your records. We look for changes in your condition after the accident, and we organize the records in a way that makes sense. This helps us build a clear timeline of your medical journey and show how your injuries have affected your life.

Proving Causation and Aggravation

“Causation” is a legal word that means proving the accident caused your new pain or made an old condition worse. This is one of the hardest parts of a case involving prior injuries.

For example, if you already had lower back problems, you may wonder how to show that a car crash made things worse. Insurance companies argue that your back would have hurt anyway.

Our Approach

We use medical evidence to prove the difference. Imaging scans, medical records, and doctor testimony can show how your condition changed after the crash. By presenting this evidence, we make it clear that the accident is the reason for your worsening pain.

Understanding Insurance Company Tactics

Most people don’t realize how far insurance companies will go. They may dig through decades of medical history, looking for anything to blame your injuries on. You may be shocked when they bring up old doctor visits you barely remember.

Our Approach

We know these tactics well because we see them every day. We prepare our clients from the start so that they aren’t blindsided. When the insurance company tries to twist the facts, we are ready to fight back.

Protecting Your Dignity and Confidence

When insurers argue that your pain is “old,” it can feel insulting. Many victims feel like their suffering is being minimized. Others feel embarrassed when unrelated medical issues are dragged into the case. This can be one of the hardest emotional challenges after an accident.

Our Approach

We make sure your story is told with respect. We focus on how the accident changed your daily life and why your pain is real. You are more than just your medical records. You are a person and not just a file. We remind the insurance company, and sometimes even the jury, of that fact.

Building a Strong Legal Strategy

Without legal help, it is easy to make mistakes that hurt your case. Signing the wrong paper or answering a tricky question could give the insurance company ammunition to use against you.

Our Approach

From the very beginning, we build a plan to protect you. We control what information is released. We anticipate what the insurance company will argue. We take ownership of the details so that you don’t have to carry that stress alone.

Telling the Full Story

Medical records can show what treatment you received, but they don’t explain the whole picture. They don’t show how your serious injuries make it harder to play with your kids, walk your dog, or enjoy your hobbies.

Our Approach

We encourage you to share your personal story. We also gather testimony from family, friends, and coworkers who see the changes in your daily life. Together, this creates a fuller, more human picture of the harm caused by the accident.

Addressing “Normal” Degeneration

As people age, our bodies naturally change. Discs in the spine wear down. Knees ache. Shoulders stiffen. Insurance companies love to point to these common changes as proof that an accident caused nothing new.

Our Approach

We work with experts who can explain the difference between ordinary wear-and-tear and injuries caused or worsened by trauma. Just because your body has some age-related changes doesn’t mean you have to accept new pain caused by a careless driver.

Overcoming the Fear of No Recovery

One of our clients’ biggest fears is this: “Since I had prior pain, I probably don’t deserve any recovery.” This belief keeps many people from pursuing a valid claim.

Our Approach

The law is clear. If someone else makes your condition worse, they are responsible for the harm they caused. Even if you weren’t in perfect health before, you still have rights. We help you understand those rights and fight for them.

The Snellings Law Difference

At Snellings Law, we understand how stressful it is when your past is used against you. That’s why we stand beside you every step of the way. We fight insurance company tactics, protect your privacy, and work with medical experts to tell your full story.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may still have a strong case. Even if you’ve had prior conditions before, don’t let insurance companies scare you into silence.

Call Snellings Law today at 214-387-0387 or visit snellingsinjurylaw.com to schedule a free consultation.