A Colorado man who is a former Marine was taken into custody by the Weld County Sheriff’s Office after he reportedly jumped from the balcony of his home and then disappeared earlier this month. Police as well as K-9 officers searched for him for two days after his wife reported the incident. He was arrested for breaking into a home.

The wife of the 33-year-old man, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a mortar attack in Iraq 13 years ago that also caused him to lose an eye, says that her husband suffers from memory loss and depression. She says that the two moved to Broomfield from their hometown “so he could get better care at the VA and it’s not better care.

She says that despite several changes in his medication, “it always messes with him.” She adds that he “didn’t know who we were or who he was…just disoriented.”

The sheriff’s office says that it was unaware that he was a disabled, missing veteran when he was arrested. The Weld County District Attorney’s Office has not yet decided whether to file charges against him.

The man’s wife says she hopes that the arrest will lead to her husband, whom she says wanted to serve in the military from a young age, finally getting the help that he needs. “He served our country, he lost his eye for you and me, everybody. He lost his memory, he’s losing his day-to-day life trying to fix himself.”

This is just one example of the profound damage that a traumatic brain injury can cause. While TBIs are increasingly a cost of war, they can also occur in traffic crashes, sports accidents and other events that cause injury to the brain.

That’s why it’s essential that if you or a loved one has suffered a TBI, you explore the possibility of seeking compensation for those at fault in order to help cover the cost of medical and psychological treatment as well as other damages.

Source: CBS Denver Channel 4, “‘Losing Day-To-Day Life’: Wife Describes Injury After Missing Man Found,” March 13, 2017