Lady Joan Branson’s death likely could have been prevented if she had received medication to stop dangerous blood clots, a British coroner reportedly found. The wife of billionaire Sir Richard Branson died at age 80 after being admitted to a hospital in November 2025.

Her hospitalization followed a fall weeks earlier on Necker Island, the British Virgin Island owned by her husband. Her cause of death was determined to be a pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, according to the BBC.

DVT occurs when a blood clot forms and can travel to the lungs, where it may block an artery. The legal inquest focused on whether preventive treatment could have changed the outcome for Lady Branson.

Senior Coroner Fiona Wilcox told Westminster Coroner’s Court that Lady Branson did not receive preventive anticoagulants at the hospital. Such medications are commonly known as blood thinners and are used to reduce the risk of clot formation.

Wilcox said Lady Branson faced a “very high risk of developing deep vein thrombosis,” according to the BBC. Testimony indicated that her largest risk factors included immobility after a fracture caused by her fall.

“I do find her death would have likely been prevented, and the lack of anticoagulation did cause or contribute to her death probably,” Wilcox said. She nevertheless concluded that the case did not amount to neglect because Lady Branson received medical care.

Wilcox said the purpose of the inquest was to “explore the facts, come to the correct conclusions and learn lessons from this,” The Independent reported. The proceedings drew attention to blood clot prevention for hospitalized patients who cannot move normally.

Doctors offered differing testimony over whether Lady Branson’s risk of bleeding justified withholding enoxaparin. The injectable blood thinner is commonly used to help prevent clots among patients in hospitals.

The hospital’s admitting doctor, Dr. Basir Kunduzi, testified that he did not complete a bleeding risk assessment on the day Lady Branson was admitted. That assessment could help doctors weigh the danger of clotting against the possibility of bleeding.

Kunduzi said Lady Branson’s death led him to “reflect on [his] role as a doctor” and the importance of “good communication between team members,” according to the BBC. Fox News Digital reached out to the hospital for comment.

Blood thinners can play a lifesaving role by helping prevent DVT in people who are unable to move normally after surgery, fractures or prolonged bed rest. However, the medications may increase bleeding risk, requiring doctors to weigh the competing dangers before providing them.

Nearly all hospitalized adults should receive some form of blood clot prevention, Dr. Jared Ross, a South Carolina based emergency medicine physician, told Fox News Digital. Options can include blood thinning medication or mechanical devices designed to help keep blood moving through the legs.

“In the vast majority of cases, the benefits outweigh the risks,” said Ross, who was not involved in the inquest or Lady Branson’s care. His comments emphasized the broad role of prevention while acknowledging that treatment decisions require an assessment of individual risks.

A spokeswoman for Sir Branson said the family did not plan to comment on the inquest. She instead pointed to the numerous social media posts he had made about his wife.

“Life will never be the same without her,” Branson wrote on Instagram, calling her the “shining star” of the family. “But we have fifty incredible years of memories — years filled with tears and laughter, kindness, and a love that shaped our family more than words could ever capture. It was a relationship that worked. We just had lots of laughs. We were very lucky.”

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman married on Necker Island in 1989, the same private Caribbean island where she later suffered the fall that preceded her hospitalization. Her death has placed renewed attention on recognizing and preventing potentially fatal blood clots.

DVT symptoms may include swelling, pain or tenderness, warmth and redness in an affected leg or arm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When a clot travels to the lungs, a pulmonary embolism may cause shortness of breath, coughing up blood, lightheadedness or fainting.

Other possible pulmonary embolism symptoms include chest pain that worsens during deep breathing or coughing and a rapid or irregular heartbeat. The CDC and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advise anyone experiencing pulmonary embolism symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.