Given the sudden, unanticipated nature of traumatic brain injury, and the potential time delays involved in getting a family member to the hospital, we have been authorized by the IRB to obtain proxy consent for participation over the telephone. When this is necessary, the on-call investigator will contact the family member, provide a brief explanation of the situation, read the consent form verbatim, and request verbal consent over the telephone. A third party will listen in to confirm that the family member understands and has provided proxy consent. On the signature line of the form, the witness will print the name of the consenting proxy, write their own name immediately below this name, note the time and date of the telephone call, and check a box labeled "telephone consent".