Auto Insurance Claims: I was rearended by another driver, aerobics instructor, settlement terms

Question
Hello.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.  On Wed Feb 13th, I was rearended by a teenage driver while waiting for the car in front of me to turn left.  I was sitting still.  The driver who hit me did so going about 35m MPH.  I saw a doctor the next day.  X-rays were normal, but she said I have arthritis in my lower back and the collision probably aggrivated it.  Here's the problem.  I am an aerobics instructor who teaches 12-15 classes per week.  I received a doctor's note to be out until the 25th.  My question is this:  Should I expect to be able to negotiate a higher settlement because of my profession?  I am going to another doctor this week for another opinion about the x-rays because I am having persistent neck pain.  Does one's profession make a difference in settlement terms?  How do I go about approaching this subject with the insurance company.  I am using her insurance by the way.   I hope I have provided you with enough information.  Thank you in advance for your time.

Answer
Hi English,

You should what ever you can to get the insurance comapny to pay you a fair amount. However, the arthritis is a pre-existing condition that was not caused by the accident but was aggrivated by the accident. The insurance company will use this against you to minimize any settlement. You will be entitled to any lost wages as a result of this, however, you will need to obtain a letter from the facility where you work to substantiate dates, times and amont of money lost due to this accident. You will need to assemble all medical bills and medical reports to send to the insurance company. You should seek a total settlement of about 2 to 3 times the total of the medicla bills plus your lost wages.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh