In a Washington, D.C. workers’ compensation case, an insurance doctor may say that your pain or inability to work is because of your age, arthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative changes, or an old injury instead of what happened at work.
This comes up often when an MRI shows a condition that may have been there before the work injury.
But seeing words like “degenerative” or “preexisting” in a medical report does not automatically mean your current problems have nothing to do with getting hurt at work.
Why Do Workers’ Compensation Doctors Blame Age or Degeneration?
Many people have arthritis, worn discs, spinal stenosis, or other changes that develop over time.
You may even have had one of those conditions for years without missing work or needing serious treatment.
After a work injury, an insurance doctor may look at those older changes and say they are the real reason you are having pain, need treatment, or cannot do your regular job.
In this video, Attorney Frank Kearney talks about what can happen when a workers’ comp insurance doctor blames an injury on age, arthritis, spinal stenosis, or another condition that was already there.
He explains why hearing that from an insurance doctor does not mean you simply have to accept it.
What If You Already Had Arthritis or Another Condition?
A preexisting condition does not automatically prevent you from having a D.C. workers’ compensation claim.
For example, maybe you already had arthritis in your knee but were still working your regular job. Then you fall at work and suddenly have more pain, need treatment, or cannot do the same work.
The fact that arthritis showed up on an MRI does not by itself explain what changed after the accident.
We go into this issue in more detail in How Preexisting Conditions Affect DC Workers’ Comp Claims.
What If Workers’ Compensation Uses This to Deny Your Claim?
An insurance company may use the doctor’s opinion to dispute your injury, deny treatment, or fight your benefits.
That does not necessarily end your claim.
If the insurance company is relying on an opinion about age, arthritis, degeneration, or a preexisting condition, you can read What to Do When Your Workers’ Comp Case Is Denied in DC to learn more about what can happen next.
Need Help With Your D.C. Workers’ Comp Claim?
If this sounds like what is happening in your case, talk with Attorney Frank Kearney and our team at Donahoe Kearney.
We can help you understand why the insurance company is blaming an old condition and what your next step may be.
Call us at 202-393-3320 or Contact Us to tell us what is going on with your workers’ compensation claim.
Related Resources
How Preexisting Conditions Affect DC Workers’ Comp Claims
What to Do When Your Workers’ Comp Case Is Denied in DC
Think Workers’ Comp Is Blaming Your Injury on Age or an Old Condition? Contact Us