German intern at Bank of America died of epilepsy, inquest hears

A German intern working for Bank of America Merrill Lynch died of epilepsy possibly triggered by fatigue, an inquest in London heard on Friday, according to dpa. The death of 21-year-old Moritz Erhardt in August sparked calls for banks to overhaul their long-hours culture, after it was reported that he had worked through three nights in a row before he died. Erhardt had been taking medication for epilepsy, pathologist Pete Vanezis told the inquest, but this would not necessarily prevent him having a fit. "Epilepsy is a very unpredictable condition; unfortunately, in many cases we don't even know why people have seizures," he said. "He was always, I'm afraid, at risk, even when taking medication." When asked if fatigue could have triggered the fatal fit, Vanezis said: "It's unpredictable, there might be a trigger, there might not be." Coroner Mary Hassell recorded a verdict of natural causes. "He was a young man living life to the full and he was clearly enjoying his time in London and, whilst it's possible that fatigue brought about the fatal seizure, it is also possible that it just happened. And it is something that does just happen," she said. The bank said it had not been informed that Erhardt suffered epilepsy.