The lawyer will investigate the reason for your baby’s death and if it was caused by the accident, line up experts to prove that the accident was the cause. Lawyers also have access to databases that can tell them what damages were awarded in other cases like yours (including jury awards and settlements where the information is available). You theoretically could access that same information, but it costs $$ and frankly you need some training to know what you’re looking for and where to find it.

If you are determined to go it alone, do some work to get your doctor’s opinion on the extent and severity of your injuries, the amount of physical limitation you will experience going forward, possible future medical expenses, and possible causes of your baby’s premature birth and death. Write detailed demand letters to the insurance company and attach copies of your evidence (medical bills and records relating to the items mentioned above). And ask for a lot. Just to give you an idea, if your chiro costs $100 per visit, and you need 12 visits per year for 35 years, that’s 42k. And if the premature birth and death are causally related, you’re talking about big damages.

Again, though, get a lawyer. Because this is a big $$ case potentially, they will either try to get out cheap (because you are not a lawyer, and they have a huge information advantage against you) or, if you try to hold out for a worthy settlement, they will defend vigorously and you will be in over your head. There are complexities to this I can’t explain easily — how insurance limits come into play, for example. Get a lawyer.