Brian and Maureen Hentz
About Brian and Maureen’s Life Before the Crash
Brian Hentz was Maureen’s ”calm and patient partner in life.” Brian was a heavy equipment operator before his crash and Maureen was a healthcare worker, working in doctor offices and assisting with emergency response services in hospitals. Brian, was a jack of all trades and enjoyed working on cars with his two sons. He also loved fixing up their house in his spare time. The couple had recently moved to Florida from New Jersey and was looking forward to spending more time outdoors together, enjoying the Florida sun.
Crash Description
On July 20th, 2015, Brian was returning from work in his Geo Tracker. As he was driving home, he stopped in broad daylight for traffic on the turnpike, just before their exit. He was rear ended by a tractor trailer at 70 miles per hour. The impact was catastrophic.
Life After the Crash
The crash devastated the Hentz family. Brian suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) that changed their lives forever. Brian spent nearly two years as an inpatient at hospitals and brain injury rehabilitation centers. To this day, he needs 24 hour supervision and medical care. To Maureen, he is no longer the person she was married to for the 24 years before the crash happened. Since the crash, Maureen has had to step into the role of round the clock caregiver, drastically changing what was once a strong partnership. Brian’s TBI prevents him from participating in activities he once enjoyed and did regularly, like activities with his two sons, who are heart broken by the change in their Dad. They no longer see people socially because Brian’s behavior is so unpredictable, and he lacks common impulse controls as a result of the TBI. He has experienced a drastic personality change since the crash. It has put a tremendous strain on what was once a happy marriage.
In addition to emotional costs, there are substantial financial costs the Hentz family is battling, including Brian’s medications, medical and psychiatrist care. Aside from his catastrophic TBI, Brian suffered other physical injuries that required a year and a half of physical therapy. This wiped out the Hentz family’s savings. To make matters worse, Maureen had to cash out their pension plan in order to cover Brian’s medical costs. In other words, this truck crash took away their lives, their happiness, their freedom, and every ounce of their savings and retirement money. Maureen and Brian are both currently jobless, as Maureen has to provide 24-hour care to Brian who cannot be left alone without someone to watch him. Brian is unable to work as he can no longer operate heavy equipment let alone do many other basic job functions he was able to perform before his crash. Brian continues therapy for his behavior and cognitive deficits at a day program. He will need supervision, counseling, and therapies for the rest of his life.
The $1,000,000 insurance amount was not nearly enough to cover Brian’s initial care, never mind his ongoing and future care. Maureen hopes that by telling their story they can help to prevent the devastating financial burdens placed on families due to insufficient insurance limits. The mandatory minimum insurance requirement of $750,000 was put in place in 1980. It was meant to be adjusted every year for inflation. It has not been raised for 42 years. In 1980, a gallon of gas cost $1.19, the average car cost $7,200, and the average home cost $68,700. Congress needs to raise these limits so they can cover the costs of these catastrophic trucking crashes and prevent these victims from becoming burdens on Medicaid and Medicare. Maureen says honestly, “It’s a rough life and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
