Having practiced law for over 40 years, this partner of the Osborne & Keenan Law Firm has developed a reputation for being a tireless advocate for those with brain injuries

New Brain Injury Board Member Kevin Keenan Fights for Brain Injury Survivors

Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona Board Member Kevin Keenan is not your typical trial lawyer. He’s on a mission to help people with brain injury return to the workforce and live their best possible lives day to day.

Part of this goal is professional. Having practiced law for over 40 years, this partner of the Osborne & Keenan Law Firm has developed a reputation for being a tireless advocate for those with brain injuries. In fact, he is so sought after, out of 300 annual potential case referrals, he accepts and devotes his time to only about ten.

Part of his success is based in part on his understanding of how medical misdiagnosis of brain injury and errors can lead to personal devastation. Armed with the knowledge that most litigants would prefer to settle, he regularly negotiates agreements that allow his clients to lead fuller lives.

Having practiced law for over 40 years, this partner of the Osborne & Keenan Law Firm has developed a reputation for being a tireless advocate for those with brain injuries.

Over the course of his career, Kevin has established an impressive track record including several landmark cases. He was a lead counsel on cases with the largest civil jury verdicts in Arizona in both 2013 and 2017.

The 2017 verdict saw the largest dollar amount awarded in a medical negligence case in Pima County since 2004. The case involved a 46-year-old Tucson woman whose devastating brain injury was the result of medical errors. She is now in a persistent vegetative state and requires around-the-clock care for the rest of her life. Perhaps due to working on such heart-wrenching cases, Kevin can attest to how life-changing brain injuries can truly be.

Kevin’s motivation is also personal. In February 2014, his 24-year-old son Mike was in a horrific car accident they were not sure he would survive. Fortunately, he had great physicians, including Dr. Luis Tumialan of Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI). However, his treatment was not without risks. Because of the high degree of swelling in his brain, a portion of his skull needed to be removed, and he underwent six neurosurgeries.

Post-operative infections resulted in intravenous antibiotic treatments. Eventually, hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT) were incorporated into his regimen, and his recovery took a huge leap forward. Over the course of the next few months, Mike worked hard to graduate from using a wheelchair, to a walker, then a cane, until he could eventually walk unaided. He can now run and engage in almost all pre-accident physical activities.

However, this was not the end of Mike’s recovery process–Next came out-patient therapy. At the BNI Center for Transitional Neuro-Rehabilitation (CTN), Mike underwent care supervised by Dr. Pamela Klonoff, the Center’s Director. While at CTN, Mike participated in intensive physical, occupational, and cognitive therapies. It took a year-and-a-half, but Mike’s improvement was drastic. “Today, he seems more and more like his former self,” acknowledges Kevin, “and he still continues to improve cognitively.”

His personal involvement in his son’s recovery has been the foundation of Kevin’s passion for helping survivors of brain injury. While doing due diligence during Mike’s rehabilitation, he came across the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona. As a parent who hadn’t known where to turn or what help was available, he soon realized how valuable this non-profit’s free resources and programs would be for his son and family.

When the opportunity to join the Alliance’s Board presented itself, Kevin jumped at the chance, partly due to a coincidence. He knew Brain Injury Alliance Chairman Scott Palumbo; actually, Scott’s father Tony was Kevin’s mentor early in his legal career. What’s more, Kevin’s stint as a Board Member of the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society impressed upon him the impact a non-profit can have on the community.

Brain Injury Alliance Board of Directors Chair Julie Rake appreciates the expertise and passion this husband and father of three brings to the table. “We’re thrilled Kevin is part of the Board. He brings a perspective that allows us to be well-rounded in our leadership,” she shares. “This helps broaden our understanding of how to better serve survivors of brain injury, whether mild, moderate, or severe, and his leadership helped us pivot and transition during COVID-19.”

As far as what he wants to accomplish in his new role, Kevin already has plans in the making. “In addition to getting survivors back into the workplace, I want people to be more understanding of brain injury,” he states. With his legal insights and personal experience, Kevin welcomes the prospect of furthering the Alliance’s mission of preventing injuries, inspiring hope, and promoting understanding of brain injury.

“There are many people like my son who are still capable of having a happy and productive life,” he reminds. “We need to find ways to open doors for them.”

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Workgroup
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Neuro Info-Line: 888-500-9165