Getting into a car accident is a scary experience. If you get into a car accident while pregnant, it can be even more terrifying.
Understandably, you may be worried about possible harm to your baby, even if it’s only a minor accident. In many cases, a car accident won’t lead to any injury to your baby, but you should always seek medical attention to be sure.
If you were in a car accident and pregnant, contact a San Francisco car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
What to Do If You’re in a Car Accident While Pregnant
Immediately following the accident, try to document everything if possible. You should exchange information from the other party and get contact information from any witnesses who were present. If you feel up to it, try to take photos of the damage to both vehicles and the surrounding scene.
You should also consider calling the police, even if the accident is minor. When you call 911, let them know you are expecting.
If you’re pregnant and in a car accident, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible if paramedics don’t check you out at the scene. If there is a risk of complications with your pregnancy, it’s imperative to catch any problems early on.
Even if the accident was low impact and you don’t think you were injured, it’s crucial to get examined. You should schedule a thorough examination, no matter how far along you are in your pregnancy.
Some signs to watch for if you are in a car accident while pregnant include:
- Abdominal pain,
- Spotting or bleeding,
- Severe headache,
- Swelling in face or fingers,
- Loss of consciousness,
- Feeling light-headed, and
- Repeated vomiting.
It’s not uncommon to feel ok at the time of the accident but have symptoms develop in the following days. Don’t ignore any signs, and get to a doctor right away if you experience any of these symptoms.
When Should You Settle a Claim for a Car Accident If You’re Pregnant?
In many cases, women who are involved in a car accident while pregnant want to wait to see how their pregnancy goes before agreeing to settle with the insurance company. Waiting will give them time to understand the full extent of their injuries.
If you settle too soon and additional problems develop down the line, you cannot go back and ask for further compensation.
For example, if you come to an agreement on your pregnant car accident settlement and sign a release of all claims before the baby is born, and there are problems after the baby is born, the at-fault party’s insurance company owes you nothing.
Another reason to consider waiting is you don’t have an accurate picture of your loss of earnings yet. Pregnant women will have more doctors’ appointments during their pregnancy than an injured party who isn’t pregnant at the time of the accident.
Our Case Results
$750
THOUSAND
REAR END VEHICLE COLLISION
A negligent driver rear-ended our client who suffered a significant back injury resulting in pre-trial settlement of $750,000.
REAR END VEHICLE COLLISION
A negligent driver rear-ended our client who suffered a significant back injury resulting in pre-trial settlement of $750,000.
$565
THOUSAND
LOW-SPEED REAR END VEHICLE COLLISION
Our client was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a low-speed impact resulting in back surgery. Settlement of his third-party liability and his underinsurance claims resulted in total settlement of $565,000.
LOW-SPEED REAR END VEHICLE COLLISION
Our client was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a low-speed impact resulting in back surgery. Settlement of his third-party liability and his underinsurance claims resulted in total settlement of $565,000.
$500
THOUSAND
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY VEHICLE
Our client’s mother was struck and killed in a crosswalk resulting in a policy limits settlement of $500,000.
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY VEHICLE
Our client’s mother was struck and killed in a crosswalk resulting in a policy limits settlement of $500,000.
$125
THOUSAND
CAR REAR ENDED BY BUS
A bus rear ended our client causing serious back injuries. Result: $125,000.
CAR REAR ENDED BY BUS
A bus rear ended our client causing serious back injuries. Result: $125,000.
$115
THOUSAND
DISPUTED LIABILITY RED LIGHT CRASH
Our client came to us with a low back injury after having been sued by a motorist in a disputed fault automobile collision. The police report placed fault on our client. They claimed he entered an intersection in his Porsche on a red light. This supposedly was the cause of a collision with a large pickup truck. The truck went on to collide with several more vehicles after the initial collision. The police report included numerous witness statements most of which blamed our client. After the course of the next two years, we took numerous depositions. Eventually, what we had known all along eventually became evident. The police report was wrong and it was actually the driver of the pickup who had run the red light. After multiple days of mandatory settlement conference, just before trial, the other driver’s insurance finally agreed to compensate our client for his back injury and paid $115,000 to settle the case.
DISPUTED LIABILITY RED LIGHT CRASH
Our client came to us with a low back injury after having been sued by a motorist in a disputed fault automobile collision. The police report placed fault on our client. They claimed he entered an intersection in his Porsche on a red light. This supposedly was the cause of a collision with a large pickup truck. The truck went on to collide with several more vehicles after the initial collision. The police report included numerous witness statements most of which blamed our client. After the course of the next two years, we took numerous depositions. Eventually, what we had known all along eventually became evident. The police report was wrong and it was actually the driver of the pickup who had run the red light. After multiple days of mandatory settlement conference, just before trial, the other driver’s insurance finally agreed to compensate our client for his back injury and paid $115,000 to settle the case.
$100
THOUSAND
VEHICLE COLLISION
While our clients, grandparents and their two grand-kids were driving through an intersection, another vehicle illegally turned left in front of our clients. The insurer for the other driver contended that the claimed injuries were not severe and not caused by the collision. After aggressive advocacy for our clients, we made a policy limits demand and contradicted the insurer’s position regrading our clients’ injuries. The insurer paid its entire policy to our clients.
VEHICLE COLLISION
While our clients, grandparents and their two grand-kids were driving through an intersection, another vehicle illegally turned left in front of our clients. The insurer for the other driver contended that the claimed injuries were not severe and not caused by the collision. After aggressive advocacy for our clients, we made a policy limits demand and contradicted the insurer’s position regrading our clients’ injuries. The insurer paid its entire policy to our clients.
Although these results may not indicate the possible outcome of your case, you can see that we work tirelessly to get the best possible results for our clients. To learn more about the potential value of your San Francisco car accident claim, call us now at 415.569.7495 or contact us to schedule your free consultation.
Injured? Don’t Delay.
Our car accident lawyers represent victims of accidents caused by negligent and reckless driving in San Francisco, Corte Madera, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, and the surrounding Marin County areas. Here are some of the most common questions we get asked by our car accident clients.
What Damages Can You Recover from a Car Accident While Pregnant?
When you are in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you have the right to seek damages for your injuries. If you are pregnant, you may suffer different and even more serious injuries than someone who is not pregnant.
Pregnancy Complications
Pregnant women face numerous possible complications following a car accident, which could include:
- Detached placenta (placental abruption),
- Pre-term labor,
- Hemorrhaging, or
- Internal bleeding.
Car accidents can also create a high-risk pregnancy if you didn’t already have one, as the stress of a car accident is not good for you or the baby.
If you suffer pregnancy complications due to a car accident, you can seek damages for things like medical bills and mental anguish. Additionally, if you have to take time off work because you are put on bed rest, you could recover for lost wages.
Fetal Trauma and Birth Defects
Potentially even more devastating than pregnancy complications are injuries to your baby. These may be the direct result of the accident, such as brain damage caused by whiplash or “shaken baby syndrome” suffered in the womb. Or the accident may cause pre-term birth, which can result in long-term developmental and health problems for your child.
Fetal trauma and birth defects can involve many long-term medical costs, physical therapy, special care, and pain and suffering for your child.
The person who caused your accident should pay for these damages. But in most cases, you will need extensive evidence, including expert witnesses, to prove that a birth defect resulted from an accident.
If you believe your baby’s health or developmental problems were caused by an accident, it’s essential to seek out an experienced personal injury attorney to help with your claim.
Miscarriage and Wrongful Death
As unthinkable as it may be, some car accidents can lead to miscarriages. In other situations, fetal trauma or birth defects may be so extensive that the baby cannot survive long after birth.
California law does not allow parents to pursue a wrongful death claim unless the baby was first delivered alive and then died afterward as a result of damage caused by the accident.
In that case, the parents may seek damages for:
- The loss of the child’s love, affection, and companionship;
- Hospital and medical bills for the child;
- The monetary value of services the child would have provided to their parents;
- The financial contributions the child could have been expected to make to their parents over their lifetime; and
- Funeral and burial expenses.
If you suffered a miscarriage or your child was stillborn, you won’t be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. However, you can still recover for your own medical bills, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer
If you were in an accident while pregnant and suffered complications, you should speak with a San Francisco car accident lawyer. You could be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
We have nearly two decades of experience and provide expert legal services for personal injury cases. Our legal team has a proven record of success, recovering millions of dollars for our clients.
To learn more about how we can help, contact the Wakeford Law Firm today.
