SKIP TO CONTENTBecoming injured in a car accident while pregnant can be terrifying. You can’t help but worry about the health of your baby and whether they will experience any lasting effects from the crash. Filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver can help you start moving forward, but there are a few considerations to know before pursuing an accident injury claim while pregnant.
Car Accidents Can Put Your Baby at Risk
As you probably know, vehicle crashes can put fetuses at risk of injury and adverse health conditions. You may experience any of these conditions, which can negatively impact your baby:
- Placental abruption: The placenta may separate from the wall of the uterus, blocking blood supply to the fetus and causing complications.
- Maternal shock: If you experienced serious injuries in the crash, your body may not provide enough oxygenated blood flow to the tissues, affecting the fetus.
- Uterine rupture: The impact of the crash can cause the uterus to tear or break open, removing this necessary barrier of protection around the fetus.
- Preterm labor: The crash may send you into early labor, before the fetus is healthy enough to be stable outside utero.
Car crashes can quickly spark fetal distress. Your car accident injury claim while pregnant should reflect any harm to the baby as well as yourself and other passengers.
The At-Fault Driver May Be Liable for Your Baby’s Injuries As Well
In a typical car crash case, you can seek compensation for your own injuries and other damages from the negligent driver. But can you also pursue compensation on behalf of your infant?
You likely can. If the fetus was seriously injured in the accident, you have the right to seek funds for current and future medical expenses. This means you can even sue after the baby is born and you discover the harm they endured from the crash. You can also sue for wrongful death if the crash kills your baby or leads to injuries that eventually end their life, either before or after birth.
The challenging part is directly tying the baby’s injuries to the collision. An experienced attorney can help you collect evidence to show that these injuries were not pre-existing. Evidence may include testimony from medical professionals, copies of pregnancy medical records from before the crash, and references to similar accidents that caused consistent fetal injuries.
You May Have the Right to Emotional and Punitive Damages
Car accidents can be traumatic in themselves, but knowing that your baby was at risk of harm in the crash may feel particularly distressing. When pursuing a car accident injury claim while pregnant, you can sue for both economic and non-economic damages. Non-monetary ones may cover any of the following:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of future relationship
It may be easier to prove these emotional damages if you were pregnant during the accident than it would be otherwise.
You may also have the right to punitive damages if the at-fault driver was acting recklessly or exhibited egregious behavior. These would punish them for their direct role in the accident, setting a precedent for future cases of the same severity.
Let Us Help You Through the Claim Process
Filing a car accident injury claim while pregnant can feel particularly overwhelming. At Bryan Garrett PLLC, we have extensive experience navigating car crash cases in Oklahoma. Allow us to take the stress of this process off your shoulders while you focus on yourself and your baby.
Contact us today at (405) 725-2661 for a free initial consultation with our car crash attorneys.
