A crash made my old injury worse — how that works with ICBC.

The worry sounds like this. You already had a sore lower back, a stiff neck, or a knee that flared up now and then. Then a crash made it worse. So you assume ICBC will say the problem was already there and will not help. It is a very common fear, and it often keeps people from reporting a crash or starting treatment.

In general terms, that fear is usually misplaced. A crash that aggravates a pre-existing condition is commonly part of a claim. The question that tends to matter is not whether you were perfect before the crash. Almost nobody is. The question is how the crash changed your baseline, meaning the level you were at before it happened.

We want to be careful here. We are a physiotherapy clinic, not your insurer and not your lawyer. Coverage decisions belong to ICBC, and the rules can turn on the details of your file. So treat this as a general explanation. Confirm the specifics with ICBC, and for any legal questions about your claim, speak to a lawyer.

When part of the story is an old injury, the most useful thing a clinic can do is record the change clearly. Your physiotherapist documents how you were functioning before the crash and how that shifted afterward. That is the difference that the rest of the process tends to focus on.

In practice this means being specific. What could you do before that you cannot do now without pain? Did an old ache that used to come and go become constant? Did your range, your sleep, or your work duties change? These are the things your clinician writes down, in plain clinical language, so your starting point is on the record rather than left to memory.

Honesty helps you here. Tell us about the old injury rather than leaving it out. An accurate history makes the documentation stronger, not weaker. Our guide on ICBC reports and paperwork explains what gets recorded and when.

The approach has a simple shape. First, settle the new flare from the crash so the area calms down. Second, work to restore the level you had before the crash. Third, where it makes sense, build beyond that level so the area is more robust than it was.

An old injury can change the pace. A part of the body that was already sensitive may react more, or take longer to settle. That is expected, and it is why your physiotherapist watches how your symptoms respond rather than pushing to a fixed calendar. A flare along the way is information, not failure.

The exercise side of this work is often led by a kinesiologist. Our page on active rehab and kinesiology explains how the graded, exercise-based part of recovery fits in.

Under Enhanced Care, which is the no-fault system that covers crashes in BC, certain treatment is pre-approved in the first weeks after a reported crash. You do not need a doctor's referral to start. A claim number and your Personal Health Number are enough. We confirm the details with ICBC before your first session and bill ICBC directly for covered visits.

A pre-existing injury does not change the way you get started. You report the crash, you begin treatment, and the documentation of what changed builds from there. For the full picture of what is included and for how long, see what ICBC actually covers.