For expecting mothers, nothing is more traumatizing than the thought of losing an unborn child. If you’ve been in a car accident while pregnant, you may have fears about whether or not your baby is going to be okay. After a car accident when pregnant, you should seek medical attention immediately. If either you or your baby has been harmed, you’ll also need the help of a legal professional.
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Risks During the First and Second Trimesters of Pregnancy
The first trimester of pregnancy refers to the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Traveling is usually safe for pregnant women in the first trimester. Not only are they less at risk for an accident then, according to a May 2014 report by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, but a fetus is also less affected by jolts or sudden stops. Yet while a sudden stop or jolt might not adversely affect a fetus during the second trimester, the report reveals that the risk of accident is much higher for pregnant women in this period.
During either the first or the second trimester, a car accident can still cause serious harm to an unborn child. The sudden impact can cause placental abruption in all trimesters.
Placental abruption is the process of the placenta prematurely separating from the uterus which can lead to a variety of complications.
- Premature delivery
- Miscarriage
- Hemorrhaging
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(855) 529-0269Risks During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
In the third trimester, a placental abruption as a result of a car accident can cause these problems.
- Early labor
- Experience excessive bleeding
- Lose an unborn baby
A 1997 study, published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, analyzed 35 women involved in an auto accident during their third trimester. Of the group, 15 women were involved in frontal impact collisions, and all 15 babies and mothers survived. 15 other women were involved in broadside collisions, two of them riding bicycles at the time. These required longer hospitalization, yet all 15 babies and mothers survived.
The final five women were involved in high-speed (85km/hour to 110 km/hour) crashes. All five fetuses died, as did one mother. The research suggests that those involved in high-speed crashes while pregnant are much more likely to lose their babies than those in frontal or broadside collisions at lower speeds.
Even if a fetus is not lost during pregnancy, the baby may still suffer harm. A 2004 article in the Journal of Perinatology makes a connection between extensive brain injuries in premature infants after a car accident involving airbag deployment. A neurological injury can have a permanent impact on a child’s life.
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Who’s liable for harm to your unborn baby?
If you’ve lost an unborn child in a car accident, or your unborn baby has suffered a traumatic brain injury or other neurological injuries as a result, then you need legal help.
If your car accident was caused by another driver’s negligent actions, you may be able to recover compensation for the following.
- Emotional suffering
- Pain
- Medical expenses
- Your child’s future medical expenses
At Chalik & Chalik, our team understands that nothing is more frightening than the thought of losing a baby during pregnancy, or your child coming in harm’s way. If you’ve been in an accident while pregnant, call us today at 855-529-0269.
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