What If I Was in a Car Accident While Pregnant? | Denver Injury Lawyers

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Expecting a child is a wonderful, magical time in a woman’s life. Pregnancy can also be stressful too. There is lots to do to prepare for the arrival of the new addition to your family. The last thing you need when you are pregnant is to be a victim of a car crash. Not only do you have to take care of yourself as the victim, but also the unborn child.

If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle crash while pregnant, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a free consultation with an experienced Denver car accident attorney.

What Are the Differences?

If you’ve been the victim of a Denver car accident, the at-fault driver is responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, any other losses you sustained from the collision. You may be entitled to significant damages if you were a victim of an auto accident while pregnant. The amount of compensation varies and can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. While there are no guarantees for a recovery, being pregnant is an aggravating factor that insurance companies must consider when evaluating the value of a claim.

Pain and suffering are damages that may be difficult to quantify because it is difficult to place a dollar value on a person’s emotional trauma and suffering.  However, there is no doubt that being in a car accident while pregnant exacerbates a woman’s pain and suffering. The pregnant accident victim must be concerned with whether the child suffered any injuries. While doctors are skilled at determining the health of an unborn baby, the fear of the unknown remains. Furthermore, accident trauma can complicate a woman’s pregnancy, compounding her worry and emotional pain.

Another significant difference relates to the timing of when to file a demand for damages. Depending on the situation of the accident, waiting for the child to be born and allowing the baby to grow might be the wisest decision. A few things you should consider are:

• Taking a wait-and-see approach gives the injured family time to see if the child suffered any adverse effects from the car accident;
• If the child suffers complications from the motor vehicle accident, the medical bills generated from treatment become a large component of the claim; and
• The timing of filing the claim is critical if the baby experiences lasting or permanent injuries. An example of permanent injuries would be a child who was delivered prematurely because of trauma caused by your auto accident. The child might experience delayed development or suffer from other problems commonly experienced by premature babies.