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Motor Vehicle Crashes are a Worrisome Hazard for Pregnant Women

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported on the findings of a study of over 850,000 North Carolina women aged 16-46 (who gave birth to at least one child) during the years 2001-1008. The study focused on the effect of auto accidents on these women. The results found that auto crashes are a large concern, especially if the pregnant woman is not wearing a seat belt at the time of the motor vehicle crash. The study examined North Carolina vital records and accident reports. It analyzed adverse outcomes, car crashes, and car safety features. The findings of the study, in more detail, were these:

  • The leading cause of hospitalization for pregnant women is a car crash.
  • Abdominal trauma is a major cause of death for the mother and the fetus.
  • In particular, the study found that pregnant drivers had higher rates of early births, placental abruption, and early membrane rupture than non-accident women when there was just one crash.
  • These statistics were much worse when multiple crashes were involved.
  • Stillbirth rates increased when a vehicle accident occurred when driven by a pregnant driver who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Stillbirths were three times more likely when the pregnant driver didn’t wear a seatbelt than when a seatbelt was used – according to Catherine J. Vladutiu, PhD, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health.
  • Failure to have an airbag also contributed to negative pregnancy outcomes.

The net result is that pregnant women need to be especially careful when they get into a vehicle. The consequences of a car accident can be fatal to the mother and the unborn child.

How Joe Miller Law Helps Accident Victims

Losing an unborn child is devastating. If you or a loved one lost an unborn child, or if you have been hurt in an automobile accident, contact attorney Joe Miller at Joe Miller Law, by calling (888) 694-1671 for a free consultation. Joe Miller handles car accident cases in North Carolina and Virginia and can help you explore the legal options available to you in the wake of such a tragedy.

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If you are looking at this site, you or a loved one has probably been hurt. If that's true, you've come to the right place. Helping people who have been hurt is what we do. In fact, it is all we do. Joe Miller Law is a law firm concentrating exclusively on representing people who are injured by the carelessness of others or those hurt on the job. We provide the highest quality legal services to people who have been seriously injured. We practice Personal Injury law and Workmens' Compensation law in both Virginia and North Carolina.