After a car accident, you may be feeling a lot of different emotions. You may feel overwhelmed, stressed and worried about the health of you and your baby. Even in a minor car accident, women who are pregnant tend to have higher risks than others.
It is important for most people to see a doctor directly after an accident, but more so for pregnant women. Unfortunately, some choose not to see a doctor. Here are three mistakes people make after an accident.
Assume That There Aren’t Risks
After the accident, you may not recognize that there are risks to your baby. While your womb does protect the baby, it is not full protection. The impact of the collision and the jolting of your body can harm your baby. It can cause the placenta to pull from the uterus, it can cause bodily damage to your baby and lead to other complications. The stress from the accident can also cause stress to your baby.
Forego Doctor’s Appointments
After a car accident, you might feel okay. You may be a little sore from the impact, but otherwise think that you are in good health. If you don’t have extensive injuries, why go to the doctor? Even if you aren’t pregnant, foregoing a visit with the doctor can be a mistake. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and internal bleeding may not be obvious directly after a crash. It may take hours to days to see symptoms. By then, the injuries could be worse.
When you’re pregnant, you want to see the doctor as soon as possible. Even if you don’t believe that you have any serious damage, you don’t want to take the risk.
Forget to Call a Lawyer
If you suffer damages after a car accident, one of your first priorities should be to speak with a lawyer. A lawyer will help guide you on how to talk to insurance companies to ensure that they do not try to rob you of your compensation. He or she can also provide you with a checklist of the types of documents that you need to save to file a claim against the at-fault driver.
Car accidents may not always appear outwardly serious. If you are pregnant and have been in a collision, you may be due compensation for your injuries. Set up an appointment to consult with a car accident lawyer in Des Moines, IA, such as from Johnston Martineau, LLP, as soon as possible.