The pregnancy journey is often a joyous and enjoyable time for many pregnant mothers. However, a woman may endure trauma and injury during pregnancy if they endure slip-and-fall accidents, car collisions, and other traumatic events. In these cases, it is essential to understand the personal injury claim process and how being pregnant can impact a claim. If an individual suffers injuries and trauma due to another’s negligence, they may be eligible to file a claim and pursue legal compensation.
For expecting mothers, this is also true, and a skilled legal team that understands the circumstances and pain and suffering a pregnant mother has endured can help the successful processing of a claim. At Younglove Law Group, our dedicated personal injury lawyers bring years of experience and dedication to every injury case. Continue reading to discover more about pregnancy and how it may impact a personal injury claim.
What to Know About Trauma During Pregnancy
Traumatic events have been associated with seven percent of maternal and eighty percent of fetal mortality rates. Trauma can cause fatal outcomes in car collisions, slip and fall accidents, and other harmful events. No matter how minor an accident or injuries may seem, even minor accidents can cause trauma to the placenta, uterine wall rupture, or other injuries that lead to premature births and other complications.
Any expectant mother who sustains any form of trauma throughout her pregnancy needs to seek medical attention for a thorough evaluation of her injuries and the baby’s risk following a traumatic event. Pregnant women require various doctor’s appointments throughout the journey to ensure the fetus is growing and progressing as it should. If they suffer trauma, they need additional medical care and supervision, especially if the accident initiated an early delivery because of stress and injury.
Complications of Enduring Trauma While Pregnant
In a study about the risk factors for maternal injuries, traumatic injuries during pregnancy are the leading non-obstetric cause of maternal death. Miscarriages, fetal death, or neonatal death are unfortunate results of trauma sustained by a baby in the womb when a mother is injured during pregnancy. Common complications for a mother of enduring trauma while pregnant include blunt trauma, shock, respiratory failure, vaginal bleeding, and other medical issues after an accident.
Depending on the type of accident, injuries sustained, and how far along a mother is in her pregnancy, these factors can play a role in how severe a traumatic accident is for a mother and her unborn child. Many may sustain internal bleeding or serious bodily injury in a fall or car collision. Regardless of the initial apparent severity of an accident, complications may also be latent and cause difficulties later on.
Does Pregnancy Affect a Personal Injury Claim?
Injury claims involving expectant mothers are typically valued higher because they not only have to endure their own injuries, pain, suffering, and other damages, but they have the added concern of risk and harm to their unborn baby. Besides the standard compensation that can be recovered in injury cases, various factors influence the claim value for expectant mothers who sustain an injury.
Factors that influence the duration of a claim and compensation in a pregnant mother’s injury case may include:
- Any injury to the mother and baby
- If an accident resulted in premature delivery
- Extended hospital stays due to treatments, recovery, and other medical necessities
- Any surgeries and necessary life-saving procedures for the baby
- The unfortunate death of the unborn child or death after delivery due to the traumatic event
Pain, suffering, damages, medical expenses, and any other losses a pregnant mother may endure due to another’s negligence are examples of collectible injuries. Since an unborn fetus does not have legal rights until they are born, an expectant mother can file a claim to retrieve the compensation in this particular case for both their medical needs and expenses.
With a knowledgeable attorney, an injured individual can seek expert legal advice and take legal action to pursue compensation owed to them. An injured pregnant woman can benefit from a skilled attorney’s negotiation skills, aggressive defense, legal knowledge, and resources to successfully handle their case.
An Expert Personal Injury Attorney at Younglove Law Group Can Gather Evidence for Your Case
Sustaining injuries and traumatic events while pregnant adds stressors and medical complications for many expectant mothers. To file an injury claim after enduring a severe accident or injury, pregnant mothers can benefit from the skills and experience of a California personal injury lawyer.
At Younglove Law Group, our team of injury lawyers is dedicated to our client’s case, and we gather all the evidence to build a strategic defense against the negligent party. It is stressful and frightening to experience a traumatic event while expecting a child, but you do not have to handle a claim independently. To schedule a free consultation, you may fill out a contact form or call us at (949) 691-3660.
