Is Medical History Before A Work Accident Important?

If you’ve been injured at work, you might think it’s a matter of filing paperwork. However, if you have any pre-existing medical issues, things may become more complicated. Insurance companies often ask about prior treatments and might give you a hard time if your workplace injuries appear similar to what you’ve had in the past.

However, having a pre-existing condition doesn’t bar you from benefits. Learn how they might affect your claim and what you can do to protect your rights in this situation.

Can You Still File Workers’ Comp With A Pre-Existing Condition?

Yes, having a pre-existing condition doesn’t prevent you from filing for workers’ compensation in New York. In fact, the state’s laws require employers to take an injured worker in the event of an accident. So if your injury was worsened due to your incident, it still counts. For example, if you already experienced a knee injury and the accident left you unable to walk due to pain, you can still technically be covered.

The most important thing to do is prove that your work accident caused the new condition. If you can provide clear evidence and medical documents, they have no reason to reject it.

Why Insurance Companies Look At Prior Medical History

Insurance companies are almost always looking for ways to minimize payouts. One of their main ways of doing this is to closely examine your medical records to find anything suspicious, especially prior accidents or conditions.

If you sustained a neck injury at work but previously had surgery in that same area, they might argue your current issues were already there. However, this doesn’t automatically mean your claim gets rejected. The focus just shifts into showing how your workplace accident aggravated your condition.

How to Protect Your Workers’ Comp Claim

Be Honest About Your Medical History

You might be tempted to leave out prior injuries when applying for workers’ comp. But doing this will only lead to more problems with your claim once insurance companies find out the truth. Always be honest with your doctor and focus on letting your medical evidence speak for itself.

Don’t Downplay Your Symptoms

Many workers try to “push through” pain out of fear of losing their job or to not cause any issues. But minimizing your condition only hurts your claim and yourself in the long run. It also makes it harder for doctors to track how your condition worsened due to the accident.

Don’t Skip Medical Treatment

Even if you don’t think your injury is that severe, getting medical treatment is mandatory. Any weird gaps could give an insurance adjuster the chance to downplay the accident and claim your condition was already present. Avoid this issue by following your doctor’s recommendations and attending all your scheduled appointments.

Speak To A Workers’ Comp Lawyer Today

Even with pre-existing conditions, you still have the right to receive benefits while you recover. Our workers’ compensation lawyers have been helping injured workers on Long Island and the greater NYC area win the compensation they deserve for decades. Please contact us online or at 855-208-9799 to schedule a free case review with our team today.