Car Accident Lawyer
Annually, thousands of women in the United States are involved in car accidents while pregnant.
In San Bernardino, Calif., in 2017, a pregnant mother of two lost her husband and her unborn baby after a crash involving a drunk driver who had previously been arrested twice for driving under the influence. Barbara Velasco, who was 7 months pregnant, lost not only her unborn baby, but also her family’s primary wage earner.
It is situations such as hers that can escalate a car accident claim, adding to the potential pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages that are already part of a catastrophic accident claim.
Statistics for fetal car accident deaths
Many women struggle to conceive, going through painful procedures to become a mom. In a car accident, all that effort, all the money spent of invitro fertilization or Others, however, some after struggling to conceive, lose their babies due to injuries associated with the accident.
According to Canadian research, women who are in their second trimester are more likely to suffer complications with their pregnancies as a result of a car accident, including premature labor, a common complication associated with car accidents.
Placental disruption, in which the placenta is separated from the wall of the uterus, cutting off nutrients from mom to baby, is one of the biggest risk factors.
Defendants can be held liable for a variety of different expenses including pain and suffering if a pregnancy is terminated as a result of a car accident.
In a situation where a mother loses her pregnancy as a result of a car accident, she is entitled to:
- Pain and suffering due to depression and potential post-traumatic stress disorder
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings or income capacity
- Property damages
What should you do if you are in a car accident while pregnant?
Because there can be numerous complications associated with pregnancy and car accidents, calling 911 should be the first order of business, even if you feel fine in the wake of the crash.
With medical intervention, it is impossible to determine whether or not you’ve suffered any injuries, including injuries that could be life-threatening to the baby.
Reasons to be especially concerned include
- Unconsciousness
- Vaginal bleeding
- Pain in the pelvic area or stomach
- Umbilical cord prolapse
If you choose not to visit the emergency room, call your obstetrician, instead.
Your doctor can tell you what symptoms to watch for, including changing in your baby’s movements, spotting, headaches or swelling of the face or fingers, pain, fever, vomiting, dizziness and vaginal discharge.
After an accident, a pregnancy is considered high-risk, meaning that there is a bigger chance that there may be complications before, during or after birth.
Contact an attorney at Rispoli & Borneo
Because an insurance company can potentially claim that a pregnancy could be considered a pre-existing condition in a car accident, it is important to have an experienced car accident lawyer who can help you navigate what can be particularly difficult territory.
The right lawyer can make even the most painful claims easier to manage, because he or she can manage the paperwork while you focus on healing.