Pre-Existing Conditions and How They Affect Workers’ Compensation

Insurance adjusters could use that information in order to form a basis to deny your claim.

The typical workers’ compensation case is simple. An employee gets injured, they make a claim, and they receive compensation based on the extent of their injuries. One of the situations where this process is more complicated, and will require a St. Louis workers compensation attorney, is when a worker has a pre-existing condition.

Defining Pre-Existing Conditions

This term is a broad one that refers to conditions developed before the start of something. You would have had to have received treatment for this condition in the past or at the time when you filed your workers’ compensation claim. One of the most common applications is healthcare, where people get rejected from providers or are forced to suffer high premiums due to their conditions. Another relevant area is workers’ compensation, where a pre-existing issue might make somebody more prone to getting injured on the job, or at the very least, more likely to experience serious damage from an accident.

Some Common Examples

Though the list of pre-existing conditions is very long, there are some that are more relevant than others in the context of workplace injuries. They are arthritis, weak joints, torn ligaments, and back pain.

One of the most common pre-existing conditions contested by workers’ compensation insurance are back injuries. Since this is a common ailment that can occur anywhere, it is not unlikely for an employee to have been seen by a doctor for back pain in the past. Insurance adjusters could use that information in order to form a basis to deny your claim.

If your workers’ compensation claim is denied, our Missouri workers’ compensation attorney from The Law Office of James M. Hoffmann may be able to assist you in filing an appeal. Do not waste time in contacting us, so that you can continue with your treatment without having to pay any out-of-pocket costs.