The settlement value of every case is different because the facts vary from one car accident to the next. We need to explore the plaintiff’s financial, physical, and emotional damages. In a collision involving a pregnant woman, you have the additional variables of:
- Unique harm a pregnant woman can suffer in a car accident
- Injuries to the unborn child
Err on the Side of Caution If You Were in an Accident While Pregnant
Even if you feel perfectly fine and the wreck was a minor fender bender, you should see to your doctor or go to the emergency room for an assessment and evaluation of your and your baby’s health.
The force from a car accident may be enough to injure the baby. If caught early enough, medical professionals may be able to intervene and save the pregnancy.
You do not have to be in a significant collision to suffer injuries when you are pregnant. So, if you were in a car wreck, seek medical evaluation as soon as possible even if you do not feel injured.
Trauma Pregnant Women Can Sustain in Car Wrecks
Since you are growing and carrying another life inside you, a collision can harm you in different ways than if you were not expecting. The four main categories of medical issues the trauma team will assess are:
- Your immediate condition. They will evaluate whether you are physically stable and check your airway, breathing, and circulation.
- Obstetric injuries.
- Non-obstetric injuries.
- Fetal well-being.
What Constitutes Major Trauma for a Pregnant Woman in a Crash
The rules are different for evaluating trauma when you are expecting. If you experienced anything more significant than minor cuts or bruises, the hospital may treat you as having major trauma.
Some symptoms that may indicate a severe injury include:
- Pain
- Abdominal injury
- Decreased fetal movement
- Vaginal bleeding or fluid loss
Recoverable Damages for a Pregnant Woman in a Car Accident
Some of the damages recoverable in your injury claim may include:
Hospitalization
Doctors may keep pregnant women in the hospital for observation and monitoring after a car accident. Some women have to remain hospitalized for several days or weeks. It could be necessary to stay in the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy.
The diagnostic tests, monitoring, and hospitalization can increase the medical expenses significantly over someone in a similar crash who was not expecting.
Your car accident claim should seek compensation for the costs of hospitalization after your accident.
Medical Expenses
Your settlement will not include your ordinary obstetric expenses, but it can include expenses above the cost of expected medical care for an uneventful pregnancy and delivery if we can tie the medical treatment to the accident.
The emergency room, diagnostic work, procedures, doctor bills, and hospitalization that were necessary because of the accident should be part of your settlement.
Lost Wages
As with any negligence case, the income you lost because of the collision is compensable. When a pregnant woman suffers an injury in a car crash, lost wages can be significant, as she may require hospitalization and extended bedrest that keeps her out of work.
Necessary Childcare If You Are in the Hospital or on Bedrest
You may be able to recover compensation for what you had to pay someone else to perform tasks you could not do because of hospitalization or bedrest from a car accident.
If you have other children at home, your spouse or partner, friends, and family might pitch in to replace the care you routinely provided before the crash, but if your circumstances require hiring someone, we can pursue compensation for this expense.
Assistance in the Home
The law applies the same approach to other tasks, like cleaning and yardwork you cannot perform because of your injuries from the car accident. If you have to hire somebody to do household chores or yardwork that you normally do, you may pursue compensation for those expenses as well.
Protecting Your Right to Compensation After a Car Accident
We know that you have a million things on your mind if you suffered an injury in a car crash while pregnant. Be sure to call Kirkland auto accident attorney Max Meyers Law right away, so that we can take the legal matters off your plate.
Do not delay. If you miss the filing deadline, you will lose your legal right to a settlement or award of damages.
