NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA, March 31, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Over 25,000 brain injury survivors throughout America now carry a personalized brain injury identification card, courtesy of the New York brain injury law firm De Caro & Kaplen, LLP.

First introduced in 2017, the complimentary Brain Injury Identification card includes the individual's name, a designated emergency contact, and common symptoms of a brain injury.

According to Shana De Caro, a partner in the firm and the Chairwoman of The Brain Injury Association of America, carrying the card can help a brain injury survivor avoid inappropriate or confusing encounters with law enforcement, EMT, or ambulance personnel, among others:

“TBI symptoms such as the inability to follow commands, slurred speech, and irritability can be incorrectly interpreted by law enforcement as an individual being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or even having criminal intent. Many individuals have difficulty explaining their condition, leading to inappropriate encounters. Carrying a brain injury ID card allows a brain injury survivor to explain their circumstances and symptoms.”

But the firm contends there is still a long way to go before they reach their short term goal of providing an ID card to 1 in every 100 Americans living with a long term disability resulting from traumatic brain injury.

Michael V. Kaplen, a partner in the firm, and three-term president of the Brain Injury Association of New York State, comments, “Although outdated, a CDC report published in 1999 estimated that over 5.3 million Americans live with a long-term disability caused by traumatic brain injury. Our short term goal is to provide an ID card to 1% of these individuals (53,000), so we are currently just under half way towards reaching that target. We encourage any individual with a brain injury to complete the short application on our website to receive a complimentary card. Applications can also be made by a family member or friend on behalf of an individual with a TBI.”

The firm’s announcement coincides with the final day of March’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, an annual campaign. The Brain Injury Association of America designates this month as “a time to acknowledge and support the millions of Americans impacted by brain injury”. This year’s survivor-focused campaign “More Than My Brain Injury", aims to destigmatize the injury, highlighting the diversity of the population and empowering survivors.

The Brain Injury Identification Card is provided free of charge by De Caro & Kaplen, LLP, a New York based personal injury law firm, to any individual who has experienced a brain injury in the USA, and is available to order on the firm’s website at https://brainlaw.com/card/.

Michael V. Kaplen
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
(914) 747 4410
email us here

The Brain Injury Identification Card