I'm pregnant after a Lake Charles crash and their doctor says I'm fine now?

Q: I'm pregnant after a Lake Charles crash and their doctor says I'm fine now?

Everyone says to trust the insurance doctor, but actually that doctor is not in charge of your pregnancy care. If you were hit in Lake Charles and you're pregnant, a quick "you're fine" exam does not end this. The follow-up question you should be asking is: what fetal and maternal monitoring should happen right now, and who is ordering it? After a crash, the doctor you choose - especially your OB-GYN, ER physician, or maternal-fetal specialist - matters more than the insurer's exam doctor. Trauma in pregnancy can call for fetal heart monitoring, ultrasound, bloodwork, and observation for contractions, bleeding, placental problems, or decreased fetal movement. If you are far enough along for monitoring, hospitals often watch for at least 4 hours, and longer if there are warning signs. Do not let the insurer steer you into thinking one exam closes the file. Ask for copies of: the ER records fetal monitoring strips ultrasound reports discharge instructions the insurer doctor's report If you were seen in Lake Charles, preserve records from places like Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, Christus Ochsner St. Patrick, or any urgent transfer out of Calcasieu Parish. If the wreck happened on I-10, I-210, or near a school zone or bus stop during back-to-school traffic, get the crash report from Lake Charles Police, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, or Louisiana State Police, depending on who responded. You also have the right to get a second medical opinion. The insurer can question it; they do not get to forbid it. Watch the timing. In Louisiana, most injury claims from crashes on or after July 1, 2024 have 2 years to file suit. Older claims may have only 1 year. That deadline runs while you are busy being told to "wait and see," which is one of the easiest traps in these cases.

Question

Accepted Answer

Everyone says to trust the insurance doctor, but actually that doctor is not in charge of your pregnancy care.

If you were hit in Lake Charles and you're pregnant, a quick "you're fine" exam does not end this. The follow-up question you should be asking is: what fetal and maternal monitoring should happen right now, and who is ordering it?

After a crash, the doctor you choose - especially your OB-GYN, ER physician, or maternal-fetal specialist - matters more than the insurer's exam doctor. Trauma in pregnancy can call for fetal heart monitoring, ultrasound, bloodwork, and observation for contractions, bleeding, placental problems, or decreased fetal movement. If you are far enough along for monitoring, hospitals often watch for at least 4 hours, and longer if there are warning signs.

Do not let the insurer steer you into thinking one exam closes the file. Ask for copies of:

the ER records
fetal monitoring strips
ultrasound reports
discharge instructions
the insurer doctor's report

If you were seen in Lake Charles, preserve records from places like Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, Christus Ochsner St. Patrick, or any urgent transfer out of Calcasieu Parish. If the wreck happened on I-10, I-210, or near a school zone or bus stop during back-to-school traffic, get the crash report from Lake Charles Police, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, or Louisiana State Police, depending on who responded.

You also have the right to get a second medical opinion. The insurer can question it; they do not get to forbid it.

Watch the timing. In Louisiana, most injury claims from crashes on or after July 1, 2024 have 2 years to file suit. Older claims may have only 1 year. That deadline runs while you are busy being told to "wait and see," which is one of the easiest traps in these cases.