I’m Tony Baratta. Today, I wanted to explain why I am so passionate about helping people with brain injuries.
A client story
About twelve years ago, I got a call from a family. Their mother had been on their way to her job as a housekeeper. She was walking across the street, and she was hit by a bus that was turning left and had not seen her.
She was unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital. Her C.T. scan revealed that her brain was swelling dangerously and a portion of her skull had to be removed, called a craniectomy, to allow for the brain to swell and continue to swell without killing her. And the family called me for help.
A lot of things had to be done
There were a lot of things that had to be done initially. I had to set up a guardianship for her and her children. She hadn’t established a power of attorney. So we had to ask the courts to enter a guardianship for her to help her.
That allowed her family to be able to make medical decisions, to pay her bills and to engage legal counsel to do an investigation and pursue a legal claim.
I got to see the progress she made
Over the years of my representation, I became very close to her and her family. I got to see the progress she made from this completely unconscious person with half of her skull removed to allow for her brain to swell. And I saw her return to the beautiful, caring, loving mother that the family had lost for a long period of time.
Great medical care and rehabilitation
It was a result of great medical care that she first received at Jefferson University Hospital and then at Magee Rehabilitation, where she was in inpatient rehab for about six weeks. And then, when she was discharged to go home, she had intensive outpatient rehabilitation through Magee Rehabilitation for another six months.
A yearly celebration
And that really changed the trajectory of her recovery, so much so that I continued to remain close with this family. And once every year, we get together to celebrate this great success that this brain injured survivor and her family have achieved.
And through that experience, I became passionate about trying to help other people who have suffered a brain injury.
My name is Tony Baratta and I hope this has been helpful.
