Pregnant Women Face More Risks When Involved in Car Accidents
Being involved in a car accident is usually the last thing on a person’s mind when they get into a vehicle. The reality, however, is that many of us will be involved in collisions at some point in our lives and while the injuries resulting from these crashes can be severe, they tend to have particularly devastating consequences for certain individuals, including pregnant women. These types of cases are often complicated and emotional, as they involve not one, but potentially two victims, so if you or a loved one were involved in this kind of accident, you may want to reach out to an experienced Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyer who can walk you through your legal options.
Potential Pregnancy-Related Injuries
Besides being at risk of sustaining the kinds of injuries that many accident victims suffer in car crashes, including broken bones and whiplash, pregnant women could also sustain injuries that are specific to pregnancy, including:
- Injuries to the uterus, including tears or ruptures, which could be life-threatening to both the mother and unborn child;
- Placental abruption, which occurs when the placenta detaches (either partially or entirely) from the uterine wall and could reduce or completely cut off nutrients and oxygen to an unborn child, causing brain injuries;
- Direct fetal injuries, such as skull fractures, which are often the result of a forceful impact to the mother’s abdomen; and
- Pelvic fractures, which often accompany direct fetal injuries..
Even when a pregnant driver or passenger doesn’t sustain one of these injuries, being involved in a car accident could still cause her to go into premature delivery. In these cases, infants often suffer from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and low birth weights. Emergency cesarean delivery may also be required, which poses more risks to both mother and child. While drug intervention can prevent early delivery when medical attention is sought immediately after the crash, these methods don’t always prove effective.
Recovering Compensation
Pregnant mothers who are involved in car accidents are often able to collect damages compensating them for any medical bills associated with checking on the health of the baby, as well as expenses for their own treatment. Similarly, these cases are more likely to result in some type of compensation for emotional distress or anxiety, especially in situations where a mother goes into labor prematurely. In the event that a child does sustain an injury during the crash, his or her parents could also file suit on behalf of the child, seeking reimbursement for hospital bills and if necessary, future treatment, which may be necessary if a child is disabled or suffers from permanent health complications.
Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorneys
Some car accidents, including those in which a pregnant woman is injured, tend to be traumatic and come with a host of legal complexities. Please call 954-566-9919 to speak with the experienced Florida auto accident lawyers at Boone & Davis about the best way to handle this type of case. You can also set up a free case review by completing one of our online contact forms.
Resource:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3400205/
