The extreme force that can impact your body during a car accident is a common cause of degenerative disc disease. However, many people are dealing with some form of this injury before the accident occurred. A serious vehicle accident could worsen a pre-existing case of degenerative disc disease just as easily as it could cause it to occur. Establishing that a car accident worsened your degenerative disc disease is possible. This effort requires more than just showing that you are suffering from the condition. When establishing the severity of a pre-existing condition, you must also prove that your pain has increased due to the accident. This is because you are only entitled to recover monetary compensation for the harm that occurred from the car accident and not for your injuries that occurred prior.