An inquest has revealed the details of a lorry accident in County Durham which killed four people in April last year.

The truck Driver had been driving his 15 tonne lorry along a stretch of road in the county when his vehicle careered into another car and hurtled into a golf course.

A man and his family had been driving their Renault in the opposite direction when the collision happened. The man, his wife, his grand-daughter, and daughter all died following the crash.

Coughing Fit Caused The Accident

The inquest heard how, after waking from the accident, the lorry driver was not aware he had even touched another vehicle. A nearby golfer told him what had happened and he replied by asking how the driver was.

The lorry driver told the inquest how he had been coughing at the wheel immediately prior to the collision. After detailed medical investigations were completed it was disclosed that he had been suffering from whooping cough, a virus which can cause black outs.

Medical professionals involved in the investigation said that although rare, it is possible for whooping cough patients to acquire a ‘cough syncope’ which can cause black outs due to dropped blood pressure.

Verdict Of Accidental Death

The lorry driver was able to describe the events leading up to the crash which were consistent with what the crash investigators had found.

The inquest told how the truck had been on the wrong side of the road when the smash happened and that it was travelling at 44 mph. It is believed the passengers would have died instantly. The driver of the car was taken to Sunderland Royal Infirmary but died after a few weeks from his multiple injuries.

A verdict of accident death was recorded in all four deaths. The Coroner, said: “There are definitely no winners in the coroner’s court”.

The son of the couple who died and grandfather to the little girl has said he has been left devastated by the accident and that he will never get over it. He was also affronted by the lack of apology from the lorry driver.

Claiming For Your Road Traffic Accident

It is possible in some road traffic accidents that there is no clear blame. However, there often is a blameworthy party. If you have had injuries or have lost a loved one through someone else’s negligence then you could make a personal injury compensation claim.

Motor Injury Lawyers work with victims of all kinds of road traffic accidents to get them the compensation they deserve. Please get in touch with our team today by completing one of our online claim forms or calling us on 0800 808 7733.