The Houston Eggshell Skull Rule may sound like a mouthful, but these three words can have a big impact on anyone who has pre-existing medical conditions/injuries and has been in an accident that aggravates such conditions/injuries. A car accident attorney can help you understand this rule and its effect on a claim.
Understanding The Eggshell Skull Rule
Assume you have a pre-existing medical condition or have been injured previously. Let’s pretend you’ve recently been in an accident. The eggshell skull rule comes into effect at this point. Because you have a pre-existing condition that makes you more vulnerable to injury than someone who does not have a pre-existing ailment or injury, the legal doctrine effectively safeguards your rights. According to the eggshell skull rule, a defendant’s (their) responsibility will not be lowered just because an injured plaintiff in Houston (you) is more vulnerable to injury than the ordinary plaintiff (you).
Talk About A Kick Heard Across The World
Did you know that the eggshell skull rule was established in 1891? It came about in Wisconsin, involving two boys… one 12-year-old and one 14-year-old. Well, an argument occurred between the two and the 12-year-old kicked the 14-year-old in the shin. A normal 14-year-old boy who was kicked in the shin probably wouldn’t have been injured from the kick and would have recovered right? Wrong! It turns out that the 14-year-old had a tibia infection, and the kick led to the prevention of recovery and full loss of use of the 14-year-old boy’s leg. The Supreme Court later ruled that the 12-year-old boy was liable for the injuries, even though he didn’t know about the 14-year-old having a tibia infection prior to the kick.