A car crash can change everything in a single moment, especially if you already live with back pain, arthritis, an old neck injury, or another vulnerable condition. What was manageable yesterday can become life altering after a collision. Yet when insurance companies discover a prior condition, they often try to use it to reduce your compensation. At Paulozzi, Alkire & Condeni Personal Injury Lawyers, our Cleveland car accident lawyers understand how to protect victims across Ohio and make sure pre-existing conditions do not become an excuse for insurers to deny fair payment. Whether your crash happened in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, Lorain, or anywhere in Ohio, our legal team is here to help you pursue maximum compensation.
Insurance companies often argue that pain or symptoms after a crash are simply the result of an old injury. This tactic is common in Ohio car accident claims with pre-existing conditions. The truth is that vehicle collisions involve sudden forces that can easily aggravate prior problems that had been stable or mild before the crash.
Common conditions that worsen after a collision include:
Our Ohio car accident lawyers at Paulozzi, Alkire & Condeni know how to gather medical proof showing the crash directly worsened your condition.
Side impact collisions, rear end crashes, and high speed impacts place intense stress on vulnerable areas of the body. Even a moderate speed crash can:
Our legal team works with orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, pain specialists, and accident reconstruction experts to explain how the forces of the crash caused measurable medical worsening.
Ohio courts follow the eggshell plaintiff rule, which states that negligent drivers must take victims as they are. If a collision makes a prior condition worse, the at fault driver is responsible for all aggravated injuries.
Examples include:
In each example, the aggravated condition is the responsibility of the negligent driver under Ohio law.
Some victims hesitate to share old injuries, but withholding information can harm your case. Insurance companies often access older medical records and will challenge your credibility if details do not match.
Sharing your full medical history helps our attorneys:
Our legal team uses these records to prove the collision worsened your health, regardless of prior conditions.
Because aggravation cases can be complex, strong evidence is essential. Key proof may include:
This evidence allows our attorneys to build a clear before and after timeline that demonstrates how the crash changed your physical condition.
You can recover damages for any new or worsened symptoms caused by the crash, including:
Your medical history does not prevent you from seeking full recovery. It simply requires stronger proof, which our legal team is equipped to gather.
Under O.R.C. § 2315.33, Ohio follows a modified comparative negligence standard:
Insurance companies may try to claim you contributed to your injuries because of your prior condition. Our attorneys work to prevent unfair blame shifting.
To protect your claim:
Early action helps preserve evidence and prevents the insurance company from controlling the narrative.
Our legal team at Paulozzi, Alkire and Condeni fights for maximum compensation for every client we represent.
A prior injury should never diminish your right to fair compensation. If a collision worsened your condition, you deserve full recovery for the harm caused by the negligent driver. Our Cleveland car accident lawyers represent victims throughout Ohio and are ready to stand up to insurance companies and prove the true impact of your injuries.
Schedule your free consultation today with Paulozzi, Alkire & Condeni Personal Injury Lawyers. You pay nothing unless we win. Call 800-LAW-OHIO (800-529-6446) or reach out online to discuss your case. Our Ohio car accident attorneys are ready to protect your future.
