In 2018 alone, over 223,000 Americans suffered traumatic brain injuries – that’s more than 610 TBI-related hospitalizations a day. Even after surviving a moderate or severe TBI, life expectancy is nine years shorter, and survivors are more likely to suffer from seizures, drug poisoning, and other chronic health problems. This invisible disability not only affects those afflicted but also devastates their loved ones. Consequently, when five different families had loved ones suffer accidents that caused debilitating brain damage, their families reached out to Sean Breen of Howry Breen & Herman, LLP, a record-breaking attorney specializing in TBIs, who attained a combined $50 million in settlements on these cases.
The cases and victims varied.  One man suffered extensive brain hemorrhaging after a car crash ejected him from the vehicle. Medical imagery revealed damage to the frontal and temporal lobes, the areas responsible for executive functioning, memory recall, impulse control, and more. However, the full gravity of his injuries manifested a year after the incident with encephalomalacia, the softening of brain tissue, as well as a significant loss of neural connectivity in almost every section of his brain.
Another man was in a construction accident and rendered in need of around the clock care after his head collided with the ground from a 12-foot fall. Covered in orthopedic fractures, he suffered collapsed lungs and substantial brain hemorrhaging. MRIs taken days after the incident also showed damage to the man’s frontal and temporal lobes, causing loss of the ability to speak, personality/behavior issues, tremors, and motor difficulties
As the families sought justice for their loved ones, they contacted Sean Breen. As with all his cases, Sean prepared to take the matters to trial if needed. However, he anticipated difficulty conveying how the incidents occurred and the scope of the damage because there were no witnesses and neither man could articulate what happened. Thus, he contacted DK Global to strategize an effective way to overcome the challenge of explaining the mechanism of his clients’ injuries and the extent of the damages. The team determined the most effective approach was to depict the Plaintiffs' heads striking the ground and the resulting coup-contrecoup injuries.  Breen used these exhibits with treating physicians, treating neuropsychologists, and his own experts.
Each animation began with a look at the Plaintiffs’ coup-contrecoup injury — when the brain impacts one side of the skull and rebounds, causing damage to both ends. Then, a molecular look inside their brains explained the mechanism of a diffuse axonal injury. The rotational forces caused their nerve cells to stretch and shear, damaging the axons and hindering their synaptic transmission. Then, the Plaintiffs’ medical imagery was enhanced, labeled, and overlaid onto a 3D model of their likeness, showing the location and severity of their brain damage. The animation highlighted the afflicted lobes to depict their corresponding deficits, including memory problems, agitation, impaired cognition, and depression. Finally, the Plaintiffs' lifecare plan showed the costs to improve their functional capacity and minimize complications.
Once the visuals were completed and endorsed by his neurology experts, Sean used the animations throughout litigation, beginning with his demand package. He shared the presentations while deposing the Defenses’ medical experts, who also validated their accuracy.  Sean used this formula for persuasion and full recovery in all five brain injury cases. As a result, Sean attained a combined $50 million in settlements for the families, ensuring life-long care for the victims.
Sean Breen is a record-setting trial attorney who has won numerous Hall of Fame verdicts and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients. Sean has been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” for personal injury, product liability, commercial litigation, and more. Additionally, Sean was selected to be part of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.  Howry, Breen & Herman represents clients nationwide with offices in Texas, Colorado and California.