Oftentimes those who have injured in an accident, i.e. auto accident, slip and fall, etc, suffer exacerbation, or worsening of those injuries. What happens then to the victim? Is he/she just flat unlucky? Well, negligence law holds that one who causes injuries to another "takes his victim as he finds him."
What that means is that the person(s) who caused your injuries can be held liable for the full extent to which your pre-existing injuries were exacerbated by the recent accident. Although this legal doctrine may seem a little onerous, it is only fair and equitable to require tortfeasors (those responsible for causing injuries to someone else) be held fully accountable for all injuries that naturally flow from the accident they caused.
I found inspiration for this post on California personal injury attorney Jonathan G. Stein’s California Personal Injury and Insurance Blog. Check out his blog because it is very informative, and may help to answer your personal injury and insurance law questions.