What Should I Do If I’m Injured in a Car Accident While Pregnant?

Car Accident Lawyer

Seek Medical Attention First

Even if the accident seems minor and you think all is well with you and your unborn child, you should seek medical attention immediately if you are in a car accident while pregnant. While your baby is well-protected by the womb, traffic accidents are the leading cause of serious injuries to pregnant women as well as the number one cause of fetal death. You don’t want to take any unnecessary risks with your health or that of your baby.

Take Note of the Resulting Damages and Expenses

If you are in a car accident while pregnant, doctors will want to monitor you more closely than usual. You may have a hospital stay, extra visits to the doctor, and care for any in-utero injuries the baby may sustain. The extensive services mean greater damages and more significant compensation as a result. Here are a few of the injuries that you and your baby may face.

  • Congenital disabilities caused by direct injury to the fetus or premature birth due to the accident
  • Placental abruption caused by abdominal trauma in the accident
  • Premature birth caused by stress on the mother’s body
  • Coup and contrecoup injury, which are other terms for a pre-birth form of shaken baby syndrome
  • Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy due to trauma from the accident
  • High-risk pregnancy that develops due to health problems caused by the accident
  • Fetal trauma due to an injury to the mother’s abdomen, a lack of oxygen, or infections

If you experience contractions, a direct blow to the stomach, bleeding, or pain, you should seek help at the nearest emergency medical facility.

Capture All the Details

Once your medical needs have been taken care of, you should start right away by recording the details of the accident. You may remember some things, but your memory may be affected by the accident. Write down where, when, and how the accident happened, to the best of your recollection. Start a file with police reports, insurance documentation, and the names and contact information of any witnesses. As time goes on, you will want to add documentation of medical expenses, lost time from work, and any additional costs that emerge.

Get Competent Professional Help

Battling with insurance companies is difficult, and it’s not a battle you want to fight on your own. Contact a competent, capable car accident lawyer, like a car accident lawyer in Woodland, Hills, CA, who understands the laws in your state to help you protect your rights and those of your unborn child.

Thanks to Barry P. Goldberg Law for their insight into what to do if you are injured in a car accident while pregnant.