OLD INJURY, NEW CRASH?

How Medical Records Separate an Old Condition From a New Injury

Sam Aguiar Injury LawyersSeptember 16, 20262 minute read

Key Takeaways

A landmark systematic review published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology analyzed 33 studies covering 3,110 people with zero back pain or symptoms and found disc degeneration is common even without any pain.
More than half of all 40-year-olds have disc degeneration on MRI with no pain and no symptoms, rising to 80% by age 60, according to the same American Journal of Neuroradiology review.
The American Journal of Neuroradiology review cautions that degenerative imaging findings must be interpreted in the context of symptoms and clinical history rather than treated as a diagnosis by themselves.

How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Injury Documentation

Pre-existing spinal changes are common even in people with no symptoms. A systematic review in the American Journal of Neuroradiology found age-related degeneration in many asymptomatic adults, which makes the before-and-after medical record central to separating an old imaging finding from symptoms that began after a crash.

Degenerative Spinal Changes Are Nearly Universal in Adults

Source: Brinjikji W, et al. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811-816

Why “Pre-Existing” Shows Up on Almost Every MRI

A landmark systematic review published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology analyzed 33 studies covering 3,110 people with zero back pain or symptoms. The findings were striking:

Brinjikji W, et al. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2015;36(4):811-816

How Insurance Companies Use Pre-Existing Conditions Against You

The adjuster asks you to sign a broad medical authorization covering your entire history. They dig through years of records looking for any mention of pain in the same body part. A single note about occasional neck stiffness from five years ago becomes their argument that your cervical spine injury was already there before the crash.

You mentioned lower back pain during a physical in 2019. You saw a chiropractor twice in 2020. The adjuster uses those entries to argue your lumbar spine injury from a 2025 crash is just your old problem resurfacing, ignoring years of no treatment and full-time work without restrictions.

How We Defeat the Pre-Existing Condition Defense

At Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers, pre-existing condition claims are something we see constantly, cervical disc herniations, degenerative disc disease, prior shoulder surgeries, arthritis, prior hip replacements. We know exactly how insurance companies use them, and we know how to dismantle those arguments.

Comparing pre-accident and post-accident MRI and CT imaging is one of the most effective ways to prove crash-related aggravation. If a 2022 MRI shows mild disc degeneration and a 2025 post-crash MRI shows a new herniation at the same level, that comparison tells the story.

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Frequently Asked Questions.

Does a pre-existing condition hurt my Kentucky car accident claim?

A prior condition changes the documentation needed, especially the comparison between baseline symptoms and the post-crash course. The American Journal of Neuroradiology review shows why imaging findings alone cannot establish whether a person had pain before the collision.

Why does the phrase “pre-existing degenerative changes” show up on almost every MRI?

A systematic review in the American Journal of Neuroradiology analyzed 3,110 people with zero symptoms and found disc degeneration is a normal, common finding, present in more than half of 40-year-olds with no pain at all.

What is the difference between a symptomatic and asymptomatic pre-existing condition?

An asymptomatic condition produced no pain or treatment before the crash, while a symptomatic condition already caused limitations. The asymptomatic-population imaging review documents how common degeneration can be without pain, so baseline records matter when symptoms change after a collision.

How do insurance companies use pre-existing conditions against a claim?

Adjusters compare old records and imaging with post-crash findings to argue that symptoms predated the collision. The American Journal of Neuroradiology review explains why degenerative findings may exist without symptoms, making clinical history and symptom onset essential context.

What documentation defeats the pre-existing condition defense?

A before-and-after comparison of imaging, a treating physician’s description of baseline function, and a documented symptom-onset timeline provide the clinical context that imaging alone cannot supply, as explained by the asymptomatic imaging review.