Pregnant Woman Sent to Hospital After Two-Vehicle Crash
A Sacramento two-vehicle crash on November 24 sent one woman to the hospital. The collision occurred along westbound Auburn Boulevard just east of Watt Avenue around 1:11 in the afternoon. The incident report filed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that four vehicles were at the scene of the two-vehicle crash.
Accident Details
Those in the other two vehicles were witnesses to the collision. Medics with the Sacramento Fire Department arrived at the scene to assess a pregnant woman who was involved in the collision. She was transported by the medics to Mercy San Juan Medical Center, and her husband was contacted from the two-vehicle crash site.
No additional information was provided on the condition of the woman. The roadway was cleared to traffic at around 1:54 p.m. The CHP is investigating the two-vehicle crash to find out how it happened and to assign fault.
Lack of Safety Features and Fetal Harm
Manufacturers provide no additional safety features for pregnant women. Yet, studies suggest that pregnant women are at an increased injury risk in a vehicular accident. One study by the University of Michigan found that of 170,000 traffic accidents examined where a pregnant woman was involved, 116,000 injured the impregnated female. Of these, five percent of fetuses showed some evidence of injury. Reports show that 3,000 to 5,000 fetuses die each year due to car accidents.
Types of Injuries Suffered by a Pregnant Woman in a Car Accident
Pregnant women suffer certain pregnancy trauma in motor vehicle accidents, the most common of which are:
- Bleeding: This can drain the mother’s strength and cause drops in blood pressure.
- Beginning labor ahead of schedule: Premature labor reduces the gestation time. This means that instead of the normal 40 weeks, it is less. This reduction can affect the survival rate of the fetus. For example, at 25 weeks, the survival rate is reduced to 67 percent if the baby is born in a well-staffed hospital with a neonatal unit. The closer the time is to 40 weeks gestation, the greater the chances are the baby will survive. One problem here is the additional cost of staying in a neonatal unit and the aftercare the baby may need because of premature birth. Your injury attorney will be able to negotiate with insurers to ensure the additional cost is paid by the at-fault party.
- Placental abruption: Of all serious injuries, placental abruption causes many problems for the pregnancy. It occurs when an object strikes the woman’s abdomen. In vehicular accidents, this is usually the steering wheel or the pressure created by a seat belt. When this happens, the placenta can be detached from the wall of the uterus, removing nutrients and oxygen normally supplied to the fetus. The mother may also begin to bleed. She may suffer abdominal pain, contractions, blood loss, dizziness, and feeling faint as well as fever. The fetus’s movements may be altered.
- Fetal damage: Due to the accident, the fetus may experience what amounts to a coup-contrecoup injury where the fetus’s head may be struck and their brain injured twice at the impact point and on the other side of the head as it strikes the skull. This may result in cognitive difficulties at birth, during childhood, and possibly for the remainder of the child’s life. The cost of caring for the neonate, child or adult would be astronomical. Your attorney can factor this into the lawsuit placed against the at-fault party.
Steering Wheel and Seat Belt Can Cause Significant Damage
As the mother’s abdomen grows, the threat of injury to her and her baby increases as they sit behind a steering wheel and wear a seat belt. However, a seat belt offers considerable protection. For example, a woman who is in a collision at less than 20 mph in a two-vehicle crash stands a 26 percent chance of injury when they are wearing a seat belt compared to the 70 percent chance of trauma for someone who is not using one.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. If you are pregnant when you are involved in a two-vehicle crash due to negligence, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Call us at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400 for our free and friendly advice. We can also be reached online.
I’ve helped numerous residents of Sacramento obtain the compensation they deserve in all types of car accidents, wrongful deaths, and other traumatic events.
Learn more about my firm by clicking on the following links:
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Photo attribution: Image by Vladyslav Topyekha from Pixabay
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