The amount of money for a car accident settlement while pregnant depends on the circumstances of the case. Settlement values are different in every situation. To establish those values, you will need to investigate:

  • The woman’s physical injuries
  • The woman’s emotional injuries
  • The harm to the baby

These cases are different from a standard car crash case because:

  • A pregnant woman can suffer unique harm in a car accident.
  • The unborn child can suffer injuries as well.
  • Some injuries to unborn babies do not show symptoms until later in life.

Car accidents that involve pregnant women are complicated, so you should work with a car accident lawyer to protect your rights to compensation.

Get Medical Care Immediately

You might not feel injured right after a car crash, but if you are pregnant, you should go straight to the emergency room or your doctor for a trauma assessment to check your health and the health of your baby. Do not assume that your baby escaped significant harm if you have only minor injuries.

Types of Injuries a Pregnant Woman Can Sustain in a Car Accident

In a standard car accident, a plaintiff can suffer physical injuries. When the injured person is a pregnant woman, the range of possible injuries expands to include:

  • Obstetric injuries
  • Non-obstetric injuries
  • Fetal injuries

The trauma team will evaluate your immediate condition to see if you are physically stable. The medical personnel will check your airway, circulation, and breathing.

How Trauma Can Affect Pregnant Women

If the patient is pregnant, the American Academy of Family Physicians considers the injuries as major trauma if:

  • There are any injuries to the abdomen.
  • The accident involved deceleration, shearing forces, or rapid compression actions.
  • The patient reports pain.
  • The patient experiences loss of fluid or vaginal bleeding.
  • There is decreased fetal movement.

The pregnant woman does not need to have any visible external injuries to be a major trauma case that needs special medical attention.

Damages for a Pregnant Woman in a Car Accident

Because a pregnant woman can experience different and more severe injuries in a car accident than someone who is not expecting, the damages in these cases can vary from those of a typical plaintiff. For example:

  • Hospitalization: doctors often admit a pregnant woman to the hospital for observation and monitoring after a car accident. Sometimes the person will be in-patient for only a day or two, but she might need to stay in the hospital for much longer, possibly even until she gives birth.
  • Repeat hospitalizations: after being in a car crash, the pregnant woman might have ongoing complications with the pregnancy, landing her in the hospital several times.
  • Monitoring equipment: the patient might need to rent monitoring equipment for her doctor to be able to assess her condition and the status of the fetus remotely. The expenses can include the rental of the equipment and monthly fees for monitoring services.
  • Multiple emergency room visits: after being in a car accident, the pregnant woman’s doctor will likely instruct her to go straight to the emergency room if she experiences any symptoms like bleeding, fluid loss, pain, or decreased fetal movement.
  • Loss of income: while the patient is receiving medical treatment and evaluations, is hospitalized, or is at home on bed rest following a collision, she can miss time from work. Her lost wages may be significantly higher than expected due to extended time out of work because of the added care necessary for the pregnancy.
  • Help in the home: if the doctor puts the pregnant woman on bed rest or restricts her activities after a collision, she might incur extra costs to pay someone to provide childcare and other assistance in the home. These services can be included if they are necessary because of the injuries from the crash.
  • Additional damages: a pregnant woman might also be eligible for damages related to obstetric issues, non-obstetric injuries, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

S. Burke Law Can Help if You Were Injured in a Car Accident While Pregnant

We will be happy to talk to you about your car accident case. Contact S. Burke Law for caring, responsive legal services. We treat our clients like family. We will work hard to get you money for a car accident settlement while pregnant. Call us today at (404) 842-7838 for a free, no-obligation consultation.