Clive Hyman

On 21 August 2025, Senior Coroner Hassell commenced an investigation into the death of Clive Mark Hyman aged 64 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 13 January 2026.

The conclusion of the inquest was that “Mr Hyman presented with severe brain injuries a few days after falling and hitting his head. He died in hospital on 10 August 2025”.

I returned a conclusion that death was due to accident.

The medical cause of death was: 1a traumatic subdural haemorrhage (operated); 2 atrial fibrillation (treated with apixaban), coronary artery bypass graft.

Mr Hyman was 64 years old, active and in good general health. He was prescribed apixaban following treatment for atrial fibrillation and a coronary artery bypass graft. On 1 August 2025, Mr Hyman tripped on the stairs whilst making a telephone call. He informed his colleague that he had hit his head but was feeling “fine”. He subsequently told his wife about falling on some marble steps. Mr Hyman did not seek medical advice following the fall. Neither he nor his wife was aware that taking apixaban presented a risk in relation to head trauma. Mr Hyman presented normally until 1 pm on 5 August 2025 when he developed a sudden, severe headache. His blood pressure was also extremely high. His wife called the ambulance service and was told that it was a “non-emergency”. Mr Hyman took some paracetamol and went to bed. Around 3.45 pm, his wife heard him choking. She saw that he had vomited and was unresponsive. A further call was made to the ambulance service, paramedics attended and conveyed Mr Hyman to his local emergency department. A CT scan revealed that Mr Hyman had a left-sided subdural haemorrhage. He was given prothrombin and tranexamic acid to help reverse apixaban and given hypertonic saline prior to being transferred to the regional trauma centre. Mr Hyman underwent an emergency left-sided decompressive craniectomy on arrival which was uneventful. He was transferred to the adult critical care unit. A CT scan taken on 6 August showed that Mr Hyman had bleeding within the pons and changes consistent with an ischaemic stroke. Sedation was withdrawn on 8 August, but Mr Hyman continued to have a profoundly decreased level of consciousness. Further imaging on 9 August established that he had had an extensive stroke affecting the entirety of the left hemisphere of the brain. Neurosurgeons advised that the prospects of any meaningful recovery were poor. Mr Hyman died in the early hours of 10 August.