Dartford and Gravesham Trust payout over Lauren Gard death
A man whose wife died hours after giving birth to their son has received a six-figure payout from a Kent hospital in an out-of-court settlement.
Lauren Gard was 26 when she died at Darent Valley Hospital from a form of the disorder pre-eclampsia.
Merlin Gard sued the hospital trust for medical negligence following her death in 2006, arguing the condition could have been treated sooner.
The trust said it was pleased to settle the claim and offered its condolences.
Mr Gard has been campaigning to raise awareness of the condition, which occurs in the late stages of pregnancy and is characterised by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine.
He said he was now concentrating on bringing up his five-year-old son Charlie.
"This wasn't financially motivated. No amount of money is going to bring back Lauren," Mr Gard said.
"Charlie's lost his mum, I've lost my best friend, the better part of me to be honest.
"All I wanted to find out was what went wrong so we can have some closure."
A spokesman for Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said: "We would like to express our sincere condolences and offer our deepest sympathies to Mr Gard, to Charlie and the whole family.
"We are pleased that both parties have now been able settle this claim and wish the family well for the future."