Because experience
really does matter.

Photo of John J. LaCava

Pregnant women injured in a crash have special considerations

A pregnant woman usually tries to protect her unborn baby no matter what. If a pregnant woman is involved in a car accident, she has some very specific points that she has to think about if she is going to seek compensation. Obviously, the first thing that she has to do is to get medical care so that she can ensure that she and the baby are taken care of if there are any injuries.

If the woman decides that she wants to seek compensation, she has a very important decision to make right from the start. She can either seek compensation immediately or she can wait until after the baby is born. This gives her a chance to find out if there are any long-term effects of the accident that are going to affect her or the baby for the remainder of the pregnancy, during labor and delivery or right after birth.

There are benefits and considerations of both options. One thing that has to be considered carefully is the timing of the lawsuit. Connecticut law gives people who are injured two years to file a claim from the discovery of the injury. This can be extended to three years in some cases, but not beyond that time frame.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t file a claim immediately. Instead, you can file a claim and just put off settling until after the baby is born. You should discuss all of the available options with your representation, but keep in mind that the sooner you file, the sooner you are likely to either get a settlement or have your case heard in court.

Source: FindLaw, “When to Sue After a Car Accident While Pregnant?,” George Khoury, Esq., accessed Jan. 26, 2017

FindLaw Network