Serious Head Injury

Insight Interview with David Farnbauch introducing head injury resources. 

Video Transcript: 

Q Welcome back to INsight.  We’re with Dave Farnbauch, at Sweeney Law Firm, and talking about this whole notion of traumatic brain injury and what people can do, as they recover, and what their families can do.

A Well, what I really wanted to talk about today, Dirk, is the fact that Fort Wayne now has a terrific head injury, brain injury support group.  It was needed for many, many years and we have a terrific program at Parkview Hospital.

Q Is this that common?  I mean, I guess know a few people in my life that have suffered something like this.

A Well, I mean, the statistics, Dirk, are really mind boggling about how many people suffer serious head injuries every year in the United States, how many people are hospitalized with traumatic brain injuries, serious concussions that have long term sequelae.  Every year it’s in the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people that suffer these kinds of life changing injuries. 

Q You used a term there I don’t know, long term — 

A Sequelae.  It’s when residual effects, long term permanent effects.  You know, there’s a, sort of a misnomer that, you know, people that suffer, you know, serious concussions, it’s just a concussion and you’re going to go back to your normal life.  Oftentimes these so-called concussions can lead to life changing lifestyles that people that suffer these kind of injuries.

Q As an attorney, if somebody has a head injury and they think, eh, everything seems like it’s back to normal and it’s okay, would you, or how often, then, do I have to come back if things turn out not okay, I guess?  

A Well, I mean, personal injury cases that have a head injury as a component are pretty common and so we have a, you know, it’s just like any other type of a legal claim.  You have two years from the date of the injury.  I would say most of the time with any type of a moderate to severe head injury you’re going to know right away that your life is changed because of a head injury.

Q So, what is, what do you like about this support group?  What happens?

A Well, like I said, Parkview, it’s at their campus, Parkview Regional Medical Center, the first Monday of every month.  It’s run by a young lady by the name of Kristen Smith, who does a terrific job.  They have speakers.  People can talk about, you know, their problems and get information about, you know, how to treat these injuries and how to really cope with those kinds of changes in your life that a serious head injury brings about.

Q Do people find when they get together with other family members and other victims that they share a lot of things in common or is it every case is different?

A They do.  I mean, like I said, people that have a traumatic brain injury, even a mild traumatic brain injury, you need this kind of support from other people, who have gone through the same thing, so you can share your experiences and get information.

Q Does the State offer any resources?

A The State, in Indiana there’s a really good organization called the Brain Injury Association of Indiana.  So the chapter that we have in Fort Wayne is one of the, I don’t know how many chapters there are, about ten or so around the state, that they receive some funding from the Brain Injury Association of Indiana.  Once again, a terrific organization that advocates for people with traumatic brain injury.

Q All right.  If you would like to learn more about some of the resources that are out there or some of the steps that you can take after suffering a traumatic brain injury or head injury, go to Sweeneylawfirm.com and you can find out more.  You can find all sorts of great resources there.  You can also give them a call.  We will be right back on INsight.