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Some Risks and Symptoms a Pregnant Woman in a Car Accident Should Look Out For

Auto accidents can cause injuries to all types of people. While adults can get hurt in a motor vehicle collision, children and elderly people are often susceptible to injuries that are more severe. But a good argument can be made that a pregnant woman in a car accident can be most devastating.

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Tens of thousands of expectant mothers are injured in auto accidents every year in the United States. In fact, about 1 out of every 43 pregnant women report that they have been hurt in a car crash. To make matters worse, motor vehicle collisions are the nation's top cause of both fetal death and maternal injury hospitalization. In fact, when it comes to auto accidents, fetal deaths are approximately five times more prevalent than infant deaths. Incredibly, the odds of a fetus dying in a car crash are 15 times higher than a child under 15 years of age dying from a firearms accident.

When a pregnant woman is involved in a car accident, she is exposed to a greater risk for several different conditions, including:

• hemorrhaging
• internal bleeding
• preterm labor
• miscarriage
• birth defects

In addition, car accident injuries that require hospitalization of expectant mothers are associated with high-risk pregnancies. A woman whose pregnancy is high-risk sees her odds increase of experiencing a placental abruption or needing a cesarean section; and her baby is more likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome or succumb to fetal death.

Therefore, it is vital for any pregnant woman who is involved in a car accident to err on the side of caution.


This means being checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible after a crash. Immediate medical treatment is strongly recommended after a collision if the expectant mother notices:

• dizziness or faintness
• fever or chills
• swelling in her fingers or face
• constant or severe headaches
• pain in the shoulders or abdomen
• urgent or painful urination
• increased vaginal discharge or fluid leakage
• spotting or vaginal bleeding
• non-morning sickness-related vomiting that persists

It is also important to remember that a mother or her fetus can be harmed even if there is no direct impact to the woman's abdomen. So even if the mother-to-be is jostled seriously during a crash or suffers a blow to another part of her body, her fetus could still experience adverse effects.

The sooner that a pregnant woman in a car accident sees a physician, the greater the chances are of her baby being born healthy. If you are a pregnant woman who has been hurt (or has sustained an injury to her abdomen and/or fetus) as the result of an accident caused by the negligence or recklessness of another party, you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can.



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Barry G. Doyle, P.C.
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