What Is The Average Settlement For A Car Accident While Pregnant

Car accidents have contributed to numerous common causes of injuries and death in the world. Apart from the economic losses, thousands of families lose their loved ones to road accidents. Survivors of such agonizing incidents often incur various injuries, resulting in physical disabilities and mental pain.

The World Health Organization reports that around 1.19 million lives are cut short in such road accidents every year. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), approximately 3,240 road accident deaths were reported in May 2025.

While the thought of getting into a road accident is petrifying for you, it often becomes inevitable for others. Car accidents are life-threatening and frightening under any circumstances, but the severity is unfathomable when you are pregnant.

As per reports, about 92,500 pregnant women in the United States are affected by these accidents every year. The risk of complications increases when the mother incurs any injuries, leading to a painful experience like uterine injury, placental abruption, preterm labor, traumatic fetal death, or miscarriage.

The U.S National Library of Medicine reveals that car accidents are one of the primary causes that contribute to traumatic fetal injuries and death. Therefore, pregnant women must understand their legal rights in case of maternal injury during a car accident. Here’s what pregnant women can legally do in case of a car crash.

Legal Rights of Pregnant Women in Car Accidents

In case of a car accident, the expectant mother is legally allowed to seek a settlement by filing a lawsuit against the party at fault or claiming third-party insurance, especially if it causes maternal injuries, placental abruption, and traumatic fetal mortality, etc. A settlement with the at-fault party through legal means allows you to cover some of the following:

• Medical Expenses
• Property Damages
• Traumatic Fetal Death or Miscarriage
• Child Born with Disabilities
• Psychological and Emotional Pain
• Future Medical Costs
• Replacement Services
• Repairing
• or Replacing the Vehicle
• Alternate Transportation or Rental Car

In some cases, settlement also covers replacement services and lost wages in the United States. So, you can demand compensation from the at-fault party for the missed work opportunities due to severe physical injuries, trauma, or early maternity leave in case of preterm labor.

In case of incurring various injuries, it becomes difficult or nearly impossible for the pregnant woman to perform household chores and childcare duties. Therefore, she is legally allowed to seek hired assistance paid through the settlement.

What can be an average settlement for a car accident while pregnant?

Well, there’s no fixed rule for settlement amounts in cases of a car accident. However, a settlement for a car accident while pregnant is much higher. The compensation amount in a settlement may vary. You can expect to get a settlement amount from $15,000 to $500,000 or more, depending on the severity of the damage to the injured party, pregnancy complications, property damages, and location, etc.

It is necessary to remember that some states may have legal impediments to claiming a traumatic fetal death. In such a case, you can only get compensation for the maternal injuries, preterm labor, or miscarriage, covering all medical expenses for physical and psychological pain.

What to do after a car accident as a pregnant woman?

If a pregnant woman gets into a car accident, here’s what she needs to do:

• Get immediate medical help.
• Call the emergency helpline if possible.
• Inform the medical staff about her pregnancy.
• Report the police as soon as possible.
• Hire a qualified lawyer or law firm to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party orto file insurance claims.

Major Risks to the Unborn Child from a Car Accident

While a car accident can cause various maternal injuries and physical damage to both the expectant mother and baby, some of the major risks to the child’s health and life include:

• Placental Abruption
• Umbilical Cord Compression
• Preterm Labor
• Fetal Injury
• Traumatic Fetal Mortality
• Miscarriage

What medical expenses are usually covered through the settlement?

You can ask the insurance company or the at-fault party to cover your medical expenses, including emergency medical attention, maternal injuries, delivery charges, antenatal visits, and afterbirth support by seeking a settlement through legal means. In most countries, you are legally allowed to file wrongful death claims if you have a stillbirth, miscarriage, or case of traumatic fetal death to cover your emotional loss.

A good settlement can commonly cover any ongoing or long-term medical expenses, therapy, for instance, to deal with emotional trauma, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or any mental disorder caused by such an insufferable experience.

Does a settlement cover all your property damages?

Yes, a fair settlement can cover all your property damages. These damages, including repairing or replacing your totaled vehicle, as well as any additional damages caused by the accident, are reimbursed through a settlement. For instance, a reasonable recompense through a legal route covers your personal property damage, such as child car seats, and electronic devices like mobile phones and laptops.

Besides, it also covers the costs for rental cars or any transportation until your vehicle is repaired or replaced. In fact, in some regions, you can also demand diminished value for your repaired vehicle through the settlement.

How does pregnancy increase a settlement amount?

Well, there are a few evident reasons why the settlement amounts in cases of a car accident while pregnant are considerably higher than in non-pregnancy cases. If an expectant woman gets into a car accident, the risk to the unborn child’s life increases, which can lead to traumatic fetal death or miscarriage.

In maternal injuries or worse conditions like placental abruption or preterm labor, the child’s health is significantly affected. That’s why the amount for settlement is fixed by considering the risks as well as any expenses from the ongoing or future medical care for the child, including specialized medical monitoring, any essential pregnancy-related or additional tests, and ultrasounds, among others.

A car accident not only causes physical damage and injuries to the expectant woman but also is detrimental to her mental health. Suppose the accident causes traumatic fetal death, miscarriage, or the child is born with disabilities. In that case, it can take an emotional toll on you and your family, extending far beyond any financial loss or property damage. In case of such long-term consequences, the settlement amount is often increased in most regions.

Is it challenging to seek a high settlement for pregnancy-related car accidents?

While it is possible to claim compensation, seeking a fair settlement for a car accident while pregnant can be intricate due to some common challenges that you may face. For instance, the insurance company or the party at fault can try to minimize your injuries and damages to dismiss your claims, or delay the settlement process while you require a quick settlement to deal with their medical expenses and financial loss. In fact, in some cases, emotional damage might get overlooked due to difficulty in assessing such damage.

Nevertheless, the emotional pain or trauma plays a substantial role in pregnancy-related claims. That’s why you must hire an experienced lawyer who can assist you throughout the settlement process, provide necessary documentation, and expedite the claim process, seeking a quick settlement to deal with your medical expenses and financial loss.

Conclusion

Getting into a car accident as an expectant woman is one of the worst scenarios that you could possibly think of. It is not just terrifying but also life-threatening for both you and your unborn child. Such cases lead to various physical injuries and complications. From placental abruption and preterm labor to fetal death or miscarriage—any of these can be an outcome of maternal injuries or harm caused by car accidents.

As per a report by the National Library of Medicine in the United States, every 1.4 million mothers out of 100,000 pregnant women died due to car accidents. For the fetal mortality and newborn deaths caused by car accidents, the rate is approximately three times higher than maternal injuries leading to death.

While there’s no salve for the emotional wound that you would carry if you lost your unborn child to traumatic fetal death or miscarriage, you can still seek compensation for the emotional pain, along with physical wounds and property damage. Usually, there’s no fixed rule for settlement amounts in cases of a car accident, but you can expect to get more compensation in case of pregnancy-related car accidents.

Claiming the insurance or getting a proper settlement with the party at fault can cover all your ongoing or future medical expenses, property damages, and even lost wages or replacement services, such as childcare, housecleaning, etc. The settlement amount, however, depends on the severity of your injuries and damage. In case of a severe pregnancy-related car accident, you can expect to receive up to $500,000 as reimbursement.

Note that there can be challenges and impediments in such a case. That’s why hiring a qualified attorney to assist you in getting a fair settlement is crucial. In this way, you will receive compensation for covering all ongoing or future medical expenses, including maternal injuries, delivery charges, antenatal visits, afterbirth support, medication, and even therapy to overcome the emotional distress, depression, and PTSD.