A pregnant woman died from internal abdominal bleeding, an inquest jury ruled yesterday.
A pathologist who gave evidence at the inquest said it was an extremely rare occurrence.
Ms Caroline Leydon (29), of Ballinafull, Co Sligo, was due to give birth in about a fortnight when she collapsed at work and died in Sligo General Hospital on January 30th, 1996.
The findings of a previous inquest were quashed in the High Court earlier this year following an action by Ms Leydon's husband, Leo.
He had cited a dispute between the then Co Sligo coroner, Dr Des Moran, and his (Mr Leydon's) solicitor as the reason for holding a fresh inquiry into his wife's death.
Dr Nessa O'Donnell, the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem, said a tear in the vena-cava, the largest vein in the body, was discovered only after microscopic examination.
She said there was evidence of a previous tear, but this had healed. Such a tear was rare, she said. There were only six reported cases and most of these were in pregnant women.
It was likely that Ms Leydon was already bleeding internally when she collapsed at work, said Dr O'Donnell.
In reply to Mr Leydon's solicitor, Dr O'Donnell said Ms Leydon was deeply unconscious when she was admitted to hospital and there was no question she was merely concussed. She did not believe the injury Ms Leydon sustained when she collapsed had contributed in any way to her death.
The jury reached its majority verdict after the two-day inquest in Sligo courthouse.