The violent force exerted in a car accident is traumatic to the human body, regardless of age or gender. But for a pregnant person, the situation can quickly become tragic for them and their unborn child. One of the top causes of injury and death among pregnant individuals is a motor vehicle collision, and the statistics are equally as tragic for the unborn child.
Car crashes involving pregnant people frequently result in frightening complications for a parent and child. If you or someone you know is pregnant and suffered an accident, it’s critical that you consider the following tips to enforce your rights to compensation under Florida law.
Always Get Medically Evaluated After a Car Accident
While it shouldn’t matter if you are pregnant or not, you need to be seen by a doctor right away if you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident. This is especially crucial for expectant mothers.
Some injuries that you could suffer can be silent in nature or not be immediately apparent. For example, placental abruption is such a condition that can cause fetal death and take the mother’s life because of the internal bleeding it causes. Regardless if you think you’re okay, get assessed immediately to avoid a potential tragedy that was preventable.
Complications that a Violent Car Accident Can Cause in Pregnant Women
Besides placental abruption, numerous other conditions can develop in a pregnant woman after a forceful impact while in a vehicle.
Head and Brain Trauma
While the mother’s body provides a significant amount of protection to the child she carries, a fetus is still vulnerable to head and brain trauma. This is because their bodies are not developed to withstand the force of momentum during a car accident’s impact. Unborn children can suffer a whole host of debilitating injuries because of this, including blindness, paralysis, or death.
Premature Labor
It doesn’t take a severe head-on collision or rollover accident to trigger a pregnant woman’s body into premature labor. While medical science has come a long way in slowing down or stopping this reaction to trauma, should a child be born prematurely, they face many risks, including infection, development delays, or potentially dying if unable to survive outside the womb.
Miscarriage and Stillbirth
One of the most heartbreaking experiences for any pregnant woman is losing her unborn child. In situations where another driver’s negligence leads to a car accident, this loss is even more tragic. Physical trauma is a leading cause of miscarriage and stillbirth in an ordinarily healthy pregnancy.
Florida’s Born Alive Doctrine
When a pregnant mother suffers crash-related injuries, she will quickly accrue costly medical bills to treat her injuries. State law also gives her the right to pursue legal action for compensation against the driver who negligently caused the accident. But, what rights does an unborn child have for the physical trauma it suffered?
This is where Florida’s Born Alive Doctrine comes into play. This law states that a child who sustains injuries prior to birth and is later born alive gets the same state and federal protections and rights to compensation as their mother for the harm it has suffered.
Unfortunately, a miscarried or stillborn child that died from prenatal injuries in a car accident won’t have these rights. The only avenue for recovery will be if the mother files a claim for her own pain and suffering and related emotional trauma from losing her child.
Fight for Your Unborn Child’s Right to Compensation After a Car Accident
The personal injury attorneys of Jordan Law have extensive experience representing mothers and their unborn children who have suffered tragic injuries in car accidents. Our team of compassionate legal professionals genuinely sympathize with the emotional, physical, and financial turmoil your family is enduring because of a reckless or careless driver’s actions.
Trust us to help you recover costly damages for you and your child, including:
Medical bills (current and future)
Transportation to medical appointments for your injuries
Lost wages
Disfigurement
Pain and suffering
Loss of consortium
Diminished work capacity
Permanent or Temporary disablement
Wrongful death
Loss of enjoyment of life
And more
If you’re unsure what insurance coverage will apply to your motor vehicle accident, the best thing to do is reach out to one of our skilled personal injury lawyers to find out. Today, contact us to schedule an initial consultation and learn more about what options you have for pursuing compensation if you were pregnant and suffered a car crash.