Albert Michael Webster, 82, of Cliff Walk, Canning Town, was struck in Hermit Road, less than five minutes’ walk from his front door.
The collision occurred on December 6 and he died on December 23 at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
The driver stopped at the scene and has not been arrested.
An inquest into Mr Webster’s death was opened at East London Coroner’s Court, Walthamstow, on Thursday (January 9).
“Mr Webster was found by paramedics with a head injury,” said senior coroner Graeme Irvine.
“He was intubated at the scene. He had a reduction in consciousness and was transferred to the nearest trauma centre.”
Medics discovered he was suffering from a “chronic” bleed on the brain, said Mr Irvine, and surgery was attempted on December 16 – but his life ultimately could not be saved.
A pathologist has since given Mr Webster’s cause of death as a “left acute subdural haematoma” (collection of blood between the skull and the brain), caused by “collision with a van”.
Mr Webster was already frail, had survived a stroke and was on a medication called apixaban, which prevents blood clots, the pathologist noted.
“In the light of the fact that this is a death caused by a traumatic incident, I will open an inquest,” said Mr Irvine.
Inquests are held in public, in the public interest, to investigate unnatural deaths and whether future similar deaths may be avoidable.
The coroner said Mr Webster’s family would be given the legal status of “interested person”, giving them the right to interrogate evidence before the inquest and question any witness called to testify.
The Metropolitan Police and the van driver were also designated as interested persons.
Mr Irvine told the court: “I am given to understand that there is an ongoing police investigation into the collision which caused Mr Webster’s injuries.”
The Met said that while nobody had been arrested, a 49-year-old man was “interviewed under caution” on January 8.
It urged anybody who witnessed the collision or had any footage of it to call 0208 285 1574, ask for Det Con Neil Webb from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, and quote the reference CAD 6679/06DEC.
