Six figure settlement obtained for family in fatal postpartum case

Ashtons Legal has obtained a substantial settlement for the family of Mrs A, who died in 2018 as a result of failures by a Hospital Trust to identify, manage and treat a rare heart condition she developed following the birth of her child.

Immediately after giving birth, Mrs A developed peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), which can occur towards the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery. This condition leads to various complications and is fatal if left untreated.

Mrs A returned home a day after giving birth but was re-admitted four days later, presenting with breathlessness and a raised heart rate. Liability was admitted by the Hospital Trust due to their failure to perform an ECG upon this readmission. Mrs A’s condition unfortunately deteriorated further, and she passed away just 22 days after giving birth. It was admitted that if an ECG had been performed, the diagnosis of PPCM would then have been made, appropriate treatment would have been commenced, and Mrs A would have avoided her critical illness and death.

Following this admission of liability, solicitors acting for both parties have been working towards reaching a settlement in order to avoid trial. At the end of September 2023, the court approved the agreed compensatory award in the sum of £461,000, as well as directing that £25,000 of this be apportioned to the deceased’s surviving child.

This recent approval of the settlement signified an end to the legal proceedings in this matter, with the claimant and the family now able to focus on the future.

Sharon Allison, Head of Medical Negligence, who worked on the case alongside Solicitor Alex Thomson, commented: “This is an extremely tragic case involving the death of a young woman who leaves behind a husband and young child. No amount of money can ever compensate the family for what they have lost, but the resolution of this claim achieves much-needed closure, enabling the family to move on with their lives.

“This claim highlights the importance of scrutiny in the postpartum period, which was sadly lacking on this occasion and had devastating consequences.”

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