An injury at work can throw your life into disarray, especially if you already have a pre-existing medical condition. Whether it’s an old back injury from years ago or a chronic condition like arthritis, many workers wonder: Can this affect my workers’ compensation claim?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. With the right legal help, you can still qualify for benefits. Learn how pre-existing conditions impact workers’ comp claims in Oklahoma and what you can do to protect your right to compensation.
What Is a Pre-Existing Condition in Workers’ Comp Claims?
In workers’ compensation cases, a pre-existing condition is any medical issue or injury you had before your workplace injury. These can include:
- Prior back, neck, or joint injuries
- Chronic conditions like asthma or arthritis
- Degenerative diseases like disc disease
- Old sports or car accident injuries
- Mental health conditions like anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The critical element for your claim is whether the pre-existing condition affects the same body part or system involved in your new work injury.
When Does a Pre-Existing Condition Become Relevant?
Your pre-existing condition becomes relevant when your new work-related injury affects the same area or aggravates that older condition. For example:
- You injured your lower back in a car accident ten years ago but recovered. A recent fall at work caused severe back pain in the same area.
- You have arthritis in your knee, but standing for long shifts has worsened your condition to the point where you now need medical treatment or time off.
In these cases, the employer’s insurance company may argue that your current symptoms are caused by your old condition, not anything that happened on the job. This is often used as a reason to deny or reduce benefits.
How Insurers Use Pre-Existing Conditions to Deny Claims
Workers’ compensation insurers look for any reason to minimize their liability. Pre-existing conditions allow them to say:
- The injury was not caused by work.
- The condition existed before the workplace incident happened.
- The injury would have occurred regardless of your job duties.
They may request your complete medical history to find past issues they can point to as the real cause of your symptoms.
Under Oklahoma workers’ compensation law § 85A‑2(9)(b)(6), aggravation of a pre-existing condition is still a compensable injury. The challenge is proving that your work duties or an accident worsened your condition.
Worried your past injuries might hurt your claim? Don’t let the insurance company use your medical history against you. Call our Oklahoma City workers’ compensation attorneys for a free consultation today.
Medical Evidence Can Make or Break Your Claim
The best way to show that your job aggravated a pre-existing condition is through solid medical evidence. That includes:
- Doctor’s notes connecting your work injury to your current symptoms
- Diagnostic tests showing a change in condition after a workplace incident
- Expert medical opinion that differentiates between old and new damage
It’s also crucial that you report your injury right away and seek treatment through approved medical providers. Delays can hurt your credibility and make insurers more suspicious.
Real-World Example: When a Pre-Existing Condition Became Compensable
In the 1987 case of Stiles v. Oklahoma Tax Commission, the Oklahoma Supreme Court reviewed the claim of a worker who had been living with rheumatoid arthritis, a painful, chronic autoimmune condition. On its own, that diagnosis wouldn’t typically qualify for workers’ compensation.
The employee’s job involved high levels of stress, which aggravated his underlying arthritis, causing a flare-up that required additional treatment and limited his ability to work.
The court ruled in the worker’s favor. Why? Because the job didn’t cause the original condition but worsened it in a measurable, medically recognized way. As a result, the court found his disability compensable.
Don’t Hide Your Medical History, Explain It With Legal Guidance
It’s tempting to downplay or even hide a pre-existing condition when filing a claim. However, doing so can negatively impact your case. If the insurance company discovers the pre-existing injury later, they may accuse you of fraud and deny your claim.
Be honest and upfront. But don’t do it alone. Work with an experienced Oklahoma work injury attorney who can explain your medical history. A good lawyer will clearlypresent your case, show how your job aggravated your condition, and gather the medical proof needed to back you up.
A Pre-Existing Condition Doesn’t Disqualify You from Workers’ Comp
Just because you’ve been injured before doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to benefits now. If your job made an old injury worse or caused a flare-up of a chronic condition, you still have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim in Oklahoma.
At Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped many clients with pre-existing conditions get the benefits they deserve. We understand how insurers operate and how to counter their tactics. We’ll work with your doctors, review your medical history, and build a case that proves your current injury is related to your job, even if it wasn’t the first time you were hurt.
Get Legal Help to Protect Your Rights
A pre-existing condition makes your case more complicated, but not impossible to win—especially with experienced legal help on your side. If you’re dealing with an aggravated injury and the insurance company is pushing back, don’t face them alone.
Contact our Oklahoma workers’ compensation attorneys at Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. We’ll review your medical records and fight to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.
Your health matters. Your future matters. Let us help you protect both.
