Are you aware that an estimated 92,500 pregnant women suffer injuries during auto accidents per year? Various studies revealed that several pregnant women have poor use of seat belts. In one study conducted, the results showed that a whopping 30 percent of pregnant occupants did not wear their seat belts.
The reality is that getting into a motor vehicle accident during pregnancy can be quite frightening despite the severity of the accident. The shock waves from such an event can leave both the mother and the child vulnerable to problems like abruption, premature delivery, and damage to the fetus.
According to https://www.barrylawgroup.com/, a car accident may be the most terrifying and stressful experience of your life, but that does not mean it has to leave you feeling powerless.
Let’s figure out the right steps you need to take after an accident when there’s a pregnant individual involved in the incident.
Why Pregnancy Changes the Risk Profile of a Crash
The pregnant female body tends to have an enlarged abdomen since the uterus has grown and expanded to exceed the usual dimensions of the body that are seen when not pregnant. When a pregnant woman’s uterus starts to expand, it begins to shift away from the pelvis, where it initially resided at conception.
The developing fetus occupies a space that extends directly between the lap belt and the steering wheel and the airbag deployment area during the third trimester. The placenta experiences high vulnerability to shear forces that occur during sudden deceleration because it lacks the flexible properties that uterine walls possess.
A placental abruption is when the placenta detaches itself from the uterine wall, and it is one of the main reasons for fetal mortality after automobile collisions. According to scientific studies, this can happen to about one to five percent of minor car accidents and up to 50% of severe automobile collisions among pregnant women. Placental abruption is known to occur 43% more because of automobile collisions.
Uterine rupture occurs in fewer than one percent of pregnant women who experience trauma, but it results in nearly complete fetal death when it does happen. The only method that enables fetal survival after uterine rupture requires urgent emergency delivery from the medical team.
Crash trauma results in two main problems, which include premature rupture of membranes and preterm labor that will keep developing until patients finally recognize their presence. Direct fetal injury, including skull fractures and internal organ trauma, can also result from significant crash forces transmitted through the maternal abdomen.
Get Obstetric Evaluation the Same Day, Regardless of Symptoms
You must know what to do after a car accident while pregnant. First, pregnant women must get medical care right after the crash, no matter if there is pain or not.
Harm, like placenta abruption, might not show any physical signs, so getting checked is important. They may later experience the warning signs like cramping or abdominal discomfort. Even back pain, vaginal bleeding, or also a decrease in fetal movement are signs you need to be aware of.
Doctors often watch fetal activity closely, order ultrasounds, and check uterine tenderness or that kind of discomfort, and sometimes they may run the Kleihauer-Betke test to find elusive fetal red blood cells in the mother’s circulation.
Crash episodes must keep on being monitored for the coming few days. There is a need for a certain amount of time before the body starts experiencing preterm labor, an effect caused by any trauma cases. As such, you will have to heed your doctor’s recommendation concerning your activities as well as the monitoring of fetal movement before the next visit.
Reduced fetal movements, abdominal pain, contractions, and vaginal secretions are some warning signs that call for an immediate visit.
Seatbelt Positioning During Pregnancy
In the car, the proper use of a seatbelt during pregnancy protects both the mother and the unborn child from crash-related injuries. It should be positioned below the abdomen across the hipbone, not across the uterus. The shoulder belt must be across the chest, between the breasts, over the shoulder, and not behind the back.
Positioning the lap belt across the abdomen or removing the shoulder belt increases injury risk substantially. Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that unrestrained pregnant women involved in crashes had a 25% intrauterine fetal death rate compared to 3.5% in restrained women.
Airbags that did not get design specifications specifically for pregnant passengers should really remain activated, even if it sounds counterintuitive at first. In frontal crashes, the protective impact of an airbag going off tends to beat the risk tied to an abdominal bump, especially when the pregnant person is positioned as far from the steering wheel or dashboard as you can practically manage it.
Documentation, Insurance, and Legal Rights
Pregnancy-related accident claims can get a bit complicated. As a few key things, you should photograph the vehicles, get the police report, collect witness details, and then notify your insurer the very same day.
The damages that a pregnant woman can claim after a crash include her medical expenses and the costs of obstetric care that resulted from the crash and her lost wages and the compensation for any harm that occurred to her fetus, including pregnancy loss. The at-fault driver’s liability insurance is the primary source of recovery.
The claimant’s own policy provides extra coverage when the at-fault driver’s insurance limits do not meet the requirements in states that mandate uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Most jurisdictions allow compensation for fetal loss from a crash through wrongful death claims when the fetus was viable at the time of the crash.
State laws on fetal viability and the availability of wrongful death claims for prenatal injuries vary considerably, and the applicable law can significantly affect the scope of recoverable damages.
The early involvement of an attorney who specializes in pregnancy-related crash cases becomes essential because these claims require complex handling of obstetric causation together with fetal injury damages and standard personal injury recovery.
