TheAthletesLawyer

Leesburg bike crash lawyer Doug Landau tends to start with the treating doctors and other specialists who know the injured bikers and their families. Likewise, the Leesburg and Loudoun County bike injury lawyer utilizes state, local and federal agencies and their specialists, as they are often brought in to assist in catastrophic and traumatic brain and orthopedic injury cases. For claims involving long term care, special needs and lost earnings and income, economics and vocational experts may also be necessary to prove in a court of law what has been taken from our injured clients.

In a motorcycle and car crash case reported in Virginia Lawyers Weekly, an auto crossed the double yellow line, striking a couple on motorcycle. Because of the array of experts, the innocent victims were able to get a $5,000,000 settlement. The expert witnesses in this case included: a trauma surgeon, orthopedic surgeon, plastic surgeon, family physician, prosthetist (to talk about the needs and costs associated with artificial limbs), life care planner, vocational rehabilitation counselor, and economist. At ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., we have worked with all of these types of experts. If you have a case where expert medical, technical and/or economic evidence and testimony is needed, please give us a call at 703-796-9555.

The facts were that the automobile crossed the double yellow lines of a two-lane road and struck a motorcycle in the opposite lane of travel. The husband and driver of the motorcycle, age 48, suffered traumatic Read the rest of this entry »

The 13TH ANNUAL VICTIMS’ RIGHTS 5K RUN / WALK was held today in collaboration with the Aimee Willard Endorsement Scholarship Fund. Workplace injury and crime victims’ lawyer Doug Landau has participated int his event a number of times, as the 5 km. run passes near his original office in Fairfax and tours much of the GMU campus. Proceeds from the race and 2 mile fun walk around Patriot Circle go to Rape Aggression Defense Program (RAD) & Sexual Assault Services Victims of Violence Fund. The Triathlon Trial Lawyer has often finished in the top 5. However, this year, he was not able to catch his friend (and Masters runner) Peter Blank at the finish line, even though Blank was in the walking race ! Blank won the walking competition; Landau was in the top 20 among the runners in 20:00, and both helped to raise the average age of the participants !

Sunday’s National Duathlon Festival Championship saw temperatures reaching 95 degrees. Doug Landau was asked how he liked the heat. The Leesburg sports injury lawyer responded that he likes it hot, as some of his best races were in extremely hot conditions in Israel, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii. However, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer takes precautions when racing in the heat. Packing extra water bottles and ice is a first step. Having water and electrolyte replacement drinks on the bike and on his transition boxes is another step. And, in races longer than sprint distance, the Loudoun County injury and disability lawyer also takes endurolytes to replace lost salts on the bike and run. On the run, the bike injury lawyer drank every electrolyte drink offered at the water stops and tossed the cold water onto his head and neck, in order to cool his core body temperature and avoid heat injury. Landau also keeps a cooler in the transition area in order to keep his post-race recovery drinks cold. The heat requires planning and a sound race strategy.

As for the USAT Duathlon national Championships in Richmond, according to the Times Dispatch, “Perhaps the busiest place yesterday was the medical tent Read the rest of this entry »

Leesburg and Loudoun County bike crash lawyer Doug Landau advocates for safe driving and riding skills. Having crashed on wet pavement and been struck by a car while riding his bike to work, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer knows first hand how braking distances change and sight lines are affected by rain and wet road conditions. Fairfax and Loudoun motorcycle crash lawyer Doug Landau notes that in a recent case, a student fell and broke her leg in a motorcycle training class, requiring surgery. If you, or someone you know, has been injured while riding a bicycle or motorcycle, please give as a call at 703-796-9555, as there are strict time limits as to when an injured victim can bring a claim. Read the rest of this entry »

There was heat, hills and hard curves at the National Duathlon Championship Festival in Richmond. With a record field, it was an amazingly fast and exciting race. The Richmond Sports Backers did a superb job and the USA Triathlon “roadies’ set up a venue that was scenic and functional for thousands of racers and spectators. Check out the Richmond Times Dispatch race slide show.

Shown here after the race are (L-R): Gary Blackden, adroit massage therapist and top class cyclist and duathlete, Leesburg car, motorcycle and bike crash lawyer Landau, and Dr. Keith Saylor of Herndon’s Neuroscience, Inc. Super cyclist Saylor and his daughter both finished in the extreme heat. Blackden, who formerly ran “For Health & Balance” with his wife Tiffany, had a broken spoke and with his bike too badly damaged to complete the course, did not finish this exhausting event. Landau offered him his wheels and bike, but Blackden had already given his computer timing chip to the referee, taking himself out of the race.

Landau was fortunate again this year to avoid crashes, injury or technical difficulty (other than popping his chain TWICE at the start of the bike ride !). After a very pedestrian 10km run at 6:50/mile pace, Leesburg bike crash and bike injury lawyer Landau managed a few passes on the 3-loop course, but found it difficult to keep his heart rate up. With transitions of 42 and 51 seconds, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer saw 1:57:00 on the clock, which gave him time to break 2:20:00 if he could keep his run pace under his usual 7 minutes per mile. Instead, the Reston Herndon Virginia injury disability lawyer Landau managed 6:26/mile (20:02 5 km), breaking the tape at 2:16:54. Not fast enough to qualify for the World Championships, but a decent early season race.

Registrations for the 2009 USAT Duathlon National Championships in Richmond tomorrow have set entry records for the largest Duathlon Age Group National Championship ever ! There were over 1300 entries in the weekend’s USAT events. Leesburg bike crash and bike injury Doug Landau hopes to better his 2008 performance, where cold weather, rain and winds made for treacherous, slow going. This year, the bike course has changed somewhat, taking out the hairpin turns where TriathlonTriaLawyer Doug Landau saw a friend crash on her bicycle. The run courses are also changed, as the island cross country sections were eliminated in favor of the Canal Walk, iron works and Civil War Museum roadways.

This race will be a lot harder (and hotter !) than last week’s Bethesda Super Sprint Triathlon, and the Herndon Virginia injury and Social Security Disability lawyer hopes to break 2:20:00 (shown here while watching the off-road races during packet pick up and the pre-race safety meeting). Landau also scouted the transition area and bike and run starts because there would be so much confusion with this many competitors. While lovely to behold from the top of the hill at Byrd and Second Streets, down below it could quickly become a mosh pit of injured athletes and mangles bicycles if competitors ran into each other or were confused as to how to get in and out of the rows of bike racks. Watching how even the young college off-road competitors stopped and walked at the first water stop after T-2, Reston Herndon Virginia injury disability lawyer Landau made a note to pack extra water, ice and endurolytes on both the bike and run. A tapering week, with a much reduced workload, along with a nap today (with his feet up) will hopefully enable Leesburg car, bike and motorcycle crash lawyer Landau to give full value tomorrow. Stay tuned !

Leesburg and Loudoun County injury lawyer Doug Landau is often asked if an injured victim can bring a lawsuit against a negligent driver, product maker, dog owner or property manager for making a pre-existing condition or underlying disease worse. The short answer, according to the trial team at ABRAMS LANDAU, is “yes.” Doug Landau adds that while the innocent victim cannot collect damages for the pre-existing condition, they can seek redress for the worsening of the condition caused by these careless and reckless defendants.

As an example, a case involving the worsening of pre-existing scoliosis was brought on behalf of a 16-year-old female high school student. This innocent girl was driving home when her vehicle was hit head on by the defendant’s vehicle, which had traveled 495 feet through the median and then into oncoming traffic. The Defendant driver’s blood alcohol content was 0.32 per cent, and this was his third DUI. He had been drinking “Wild Irish Rose” all weekend. Defendant, after being asked by the trooper if he had anything to drink, responded “Oh, hell yeah,” Read the rest of this entry »

While Doug Landau primarily represents the victims of dog attacks, sports injuries, workplace accidents and car crashes, ABRAMS LANDAU occasionally gets calls to help clients, family and friends with traffic court and criminal cases. The Leesburg and Herndon trial lawyer tried cases for the State’s Attorney’s office, and has helped many people charged with speeding, improper driving, reckless driving and other Traffic offenses.

Landau is shown here in front of the Front Royal courthouse where he successfully defended a young driver accused of reckless driving and facing the possible loss of her driving privileges. Because of her age, and the fact that she only had her driver’s license a short time, her case was heard in the Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court of Warren County. Doug Landau takes safety seriously, and takes a very proactive approach toward Read the rest of this entry »

A woman who biked, hiked and climbed in China, Europe and throughout the United States sued IKEA after 350 pounds of countertops fell and crushed her pelvis. Doug Landau reports that this 36-year-old Arlington woman’s case was heard nearly 3 years after she was injured. The hiker, biker and climber has had a metal plates surgically placed in her pelvis. The trial lasted 3 days, with deliberations by the Fairfax County Circuit Court jury lasting about 3 hours according to plaintiffs lawyer and friend, Ed Weiner. The counter sections were only restrained by a bungee cord, according to the WJLA television report of the case. No one testified as to how much weight the bungee could hold. IKEA’s defense lawyer, Joseph Giordano, who ABRAMS LANDAU clients, career day students and family have seen in Court, did not return a call by the Washington Post for its coverage.

This case is important because it shows that consumer safety is important and the big box retail stores need to secure large merchandise and dangerous, tippable Read the rest of this entry »

Leesburg and Reston crash injury lawyer Doug Landau was recently asked if the negligent driver’s insurance is not enough, can the injured cyclist collect additional money from her own insurance company ? The short answer is, “yes.” In addition, the ABRAMS LANDAU trial lawyer has seen such cases where the injured cyclist’s insurance company pays the innocent injured victim and then GOES AFTER the negligent driver for the balance. This saves the victim from having to chase the Defendant driver, potentially going through the Bankruptcy court proceedings and/or Collections in order to receive the money in small amounts over long periods of time. This is the protection that is included in UNDERinsured motorist coverages. Read the rest of this entry »