Aggravation vs Exacerbation of a Pre-existing Injury
In personal injury and workers’ compensation claims, aggravate vs exacerbate is not just a wording problem:
- Exacerbation means a temporary worsening of symptoms
- While aggravation means a permanent increase in the severity of a pre-existing condition.
This difference between exacerbated and aggravated injuries can have an:
- Impact on the diagnosis of an injury
- The expected treatment and recovery
- Whether the victim can seek workers’ compensation benefits or make a personal injury claim
So, what exactly is the difference between exacerbation and aggravation? Our legal guide explains,
Free Consultation for Compensation Benefits
If you have suffered a worsening of a pre-existing injury due to a work-related incident or accident, our workers’ compensation lawyers can explain your legal rights and the medical evidence you’ll need for a claim. They can advise on:
- How an exacerbation or aggravation will impact the claims process and potential benefits.
- Avoiding common errors like missing your lodgement date or missing records of medical care
- The potential compensation payout for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering
Our personal injury lawyers work on a 100% no-win, no-fee basis with no upfront costs or hidden or uplift fees. Pay for a win and nothing if you lose. Call 1800 700 125
What does “exacerbation” mean?
Doctors use the term “exacerbation” when discussing a temporary flare-up of a pre-existing medical condition. Generally, the injury is expected to return to its baseline condition.
When a doctor states that you “have an exacerbation of pre-existing degenerative disc disease”, it just means that your condition has flared up. The real question, however, is, “When will this exacerbation subside?”
- In general, an exacerbation is expected to resolve within two to eight weeks, depending on the severity of the worsening and the extent of the pre-existing condition
- Sometimes, a lack of medical treatment can exacerbate a disease
What is the aggravation of a pre-existing condition?
The aggravation of an injury refers to a permanently worsened existing condition. For most doctors, aggravation occurs when you have escalated a pre-existing condition.
This diagnosis does not mean the injury has changed pathologically; it simply means an increase in the severity of an existing medical condition.
When an injured person has had multiple types of treatment and weeks of therapy, and the result is that they are no better off six weeks later than they were at the time of the injury, doctors will tend to use an “aggravation” diagnosis.
What is an exacerbated injury?
Exacerbating a pre-existing medical condition entails a short-term escalation of the injury. For example, physical conditions that can worsen temporarily in a motor vehicle accident could include:
- Osteoporosis
- Bone Spurs
- Arthritis
- Degenerative bone conditions
The impact of this type of accident could trigger a temporary worsening of symptoms of a medical ailment that was already affecting your health, but the exacerbated condition is expected to heal back to its original state.
What is an aggravation injury?
Aggravating a pre-existing injury is a more serious form of exacerbation. In the case of aggravation, the definition of your disorder has not altered. It is simply that the severity of your underlying condition has increased to the extent that it amounts to permanent worsening, not just a temporary increase in symptoms.
- At first, your condition is unlikely to be diagnosed as aggravated.
- It usually takes some time before aggravation can be determined
- Your new injury would need to stabilise before a long-term diagnosis could be made
Difference Between Exacerbation and Aggravation
Aggravation and exacerbation describe situations in which a new injury worsens an existing medical condition.
- An exacerbated injury is previous damage that worsens due to a new physical impact but eventually returns to its original state
- An aggravated injury is when further damage permanently worsens the existing medical condition.
- Exacerbate is more formal and specific than aggravate
- In general, aggravate has a broader application than exacerbate. So use aggravate for broader or milder worsening
How Exacerbation and Aggravation Impact Work-Related Injury Claims
Exacerbations and aggravated injuries differ significantly in workers’ compensation and personal injury claims.
When a work-related incident worsens a pre-existing condition, it is called an exacerbation. For example, if you have arthritis and fall and injure your knee, the workers’ compensation insurer (WorkCover) will cover the treatment for your knee injury. However, they will not cover the therapy for your arthritis because that was a pre-existing condition.
Aggravation, on the other hand, is when you worsen a previous injury. For example, if you hurt your back at work and then aggravate that injury by lifting something heavy, workers’ compensation will cover both the original injury and the aggravated injury.
You must demonstrate that work-related activity caused your damage to claim workers’ compensation benefits. If you have a pre-existing injury, tell your doctor so they can document it in your medical records.
What If I Already Made a Workers' Compensation Claim for the Pre-existing Injury?
If you already made a workers’ compensation claim for your pre-existing injury, you must decide whether to make a new claim or seek additional benefits under the existing claim.
Whether you file a new claim or continue the old one often depends on how doctors assess the change from the original injury or a previous injury.
Prompt medical attention and complete medical records are also important for documenting the change in condition. Here are some factors to consider:
Considerations for a new claim
A new claim is more likely if a separate work-related incident caused the fresh worsening, so you must document the incident details. When you file a new WorkCover claim, you get new benefits like:
- Weekly payments
- Reimbursement of medical expenses
- Permanent impairment assessment
If you received the maximum entitlements under a previous workers comp claim, the new claim means you are entitled to a new set of weekly payments.
Considerations for an existing claim
It may be harder to get additional benefits from an existing WorkCover claim, depending on when you filed your initial claim.
Benefit entitlement can also affect how much the insurer or employer must pay, and compensation for aggravation is typically higher than for exacerbation because the worsening is permanent.
For example, in Queensland, the maximum period for weekly payments is five years, and there is also a maximum amount of payable benefits. So, how much do you have left from your initial claim?
Workers' Comp Legal Advice for Exacerbated and Aggravated Injuries
Our workers’ compensation lawyers provide legal advice for workplace injury claims on a 100% no-win, no-fee basis.
- They can explain your rights and the medical evidence needed to prove whether the worsening is an exacerbation or aggravation.
- Ongoing medical care also helps document the extent of the worsening for your claim.
Additionally, our preferred medical treatment professionals understand the medical terminology for exacerbated and aggravated injuries, particularly work-related ones. They will ensure an accurate diagnosis accompanies your WorkCover claim.
Splatt Lawyer’s legal team offers a free first consultation for injured workers. Call 1800 700 125
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Difference Between Aggravated Injury and Exacerbation FAQs
What is the medical term for aggravation?
Exacerbation and aggravation describe when a new injury or condition worsens a pre-existing condition.
- An aggravated injury can be long-term and more difficult to treat, severely impacting employment capacity
- This factor affects the value of a workers’ compensation claim or personal injury case, since long-term worsening is usually treated more seriously
What are aggravated damages in personal injury cases?
When a defendant acts in a way that worsens the claimant’s distress, they can be awarded additional compensation, called aggravated damages.
A personal injury lawyer understands how it works.
What is the medical meaning of aggravation?
The medical meaning of aggravation is the permanent or long-term worsening of a pre-existing medical condition or underlying ailment.
How long does it take to recover from an exacerbation?
Depending on the type of exacerbation and its severity, it can take a few days or weeks to recover.
The symptoms should eventually return to the person’s baseline or original state if the condition is an exacerbation rather than an aggravation.