TheAthletesLawyer

Ronald McDonald, Tim Hamon Race Director Tom Cook and Broadlands injury lawyer Doug Landau at the Van Metre 8km

Sunshine, a rolling course and a stiff breeze greeted runners at the annual Van Metre 8km road race today.  Broadlands and Ashburn area injury lawyer Doug Landau took ran despite calf pain, as a hard “brick” workout was planned in advance of the Virginia Duathlon later this month.  Seeing lots of friends and clients, Landau managed to average 7:05 per mile pace for the nearly 5 mile course.  For a complete race report and a picture of Lawyer Landau “in action,” go to RunWashington

The Loudoun personal injury trial lawyer then did a short cool down before driving to Herndon for a CompuTrainer cycling class at HPC.  After biking indoors, Landau completed the “brick” by running several more miles on the W&OD Trail horse cinder path in Herndon.  After this grueling athletic effort, the experienced sports injury attorney showered at the Landau law Shop, got the weekend’s mail and then had a large lunch with his son, who was in town from Virginia Tech for another medical school interview.

Leesburg and Hamilton area lawyer Landau has participated in the Van Metre race several times.  The well run race raises funds for Children’s National Medical Center pediatric hospital.  Some of ABRAMS LANDAU’s youngest clients have received excellent trauma care at Childrens National, which  ranks among the best pediatric hospitals Read the rest of this entry »

Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau getting his VO2 Max tested in Herndon, Virginia

VO2 Max testing is something triathlete Doug Landau has been familiar with since the early 1980s.  During graduate studies in Sports Medicine, Landau volunteered to be a test subject at Boston University, and had his VO2 Max tested.  Since then, he has had the testing done on treadmills, bicycles and stepping machines.   VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine an athlete’s capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. “VO2 max” refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an athlete can use during intense or maximal exercise.  It is measured as “milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight.”  So, Landau points out, you want to be lean, efficient and able to remain “aerobic” at very high work loads, speeds or paces.”  For an excellent discussion of this testing and the information it reveals, check out the National Geographic piece entitled, “What It Takes to Build the Unbeatable Body.”

This measurement is generally considered the one of the best indicators of an athlete’s cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Theoretically, the more oxygen you can use during high level exercise, the more ATP (energy) you can produce. This is often the case with elite endurance athletes who typically have very high VO2 max values.  There are special workouts Landau does in order to increase his oxygen intake capacity and efficiency.  Periodic testing enables athletes to gauge their fitness and refine their training regimens.  You can get a VO2 Max Test a block from the ABRAMS LANDAU building in Herndon at HPC.

For a quick meal on the go, Herndon trial lawyer Doug Landau, like Reston attorney Bob Nicoli, will often stop at Robeks for a healthy smoothie, wrap or salad. Since the smoothies are made to order, they are fresh and contain only those ingredients you select. After a particularly long or intense workout, or when recuperating from an injury, sports accident lawyer Landau will get a protein blend so that repair to damaged tissues can begin immediately with the necessary amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Winning races is not easy. It takes focused training, regular rest and diet discipline, especially during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Years. TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau points out, “What we eat, how much rest we get and how hard we train are all important parts of the fitness equation. Smart triathletes and trial lawyers get all three in balance.” So the next time you need a quick meal, skip “Mickey D’s” and the “BK lounge” and instead try a healthier alternative like Robeks.

Doug Landau & Beatrice Vargas of ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. holding copies of his new bike crash book

ABRAMS LANDAU received its first shipment of Doug Landau’s new book, “Ten Mistakes That Can Derail Your Bicycle Injury Case.” Drawing upon over 25 years’ experience helping injured cyclists, disabled riders and their families, Herndon and Reston bike crash lawyer Landau compiled a book that cyclists have been requesting online since this summer’s court cases in Loudoun County. Landau’s bike crash book had been available through SPOKES Magazine, Potomac Peddler’s “Pedal Patter” newspaper and other Bicycle clubs and bike shops.  In addition to common sense tips and actual cases, Landau provides extensive forms, explanations and details that many so-called personal injury lawyers neglect to share with their clients. As the Landau Law Shop is regularly contacted by injured bikers, this new book is intended to be a helpful resource for injured cyclists.

If you or someone you know would like to get a copy, please e-mail ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. or call (703)796-9555.

Underground parking lot storage for bike commuters in Washington, D.C.

Unsafe bike storage facilities is one of the top reasons why many weekend cyclists are not bicycle commuters during the week. My last Disability trial in Washington, D.C. showed me that there are buildings in the Nation’s Capitol with excellent and easy to use bike storage facilities.

These pictures were taken

Bikes parked near the new Social Security Disbility Hearing office in North West Washington, D.C.

below ground next door to the new D.C. Social Security Administration Hearing site at 25th Street, N.W., near “M” Street. After winning a difficult Social Security Disability case, Herndon Reston lawyer Doug Landau explored the various racks, storage areas, signs and parking lots for bicycles. Even the all important bicycle helmets and smelly bike shoes could be left to “air out” with a cable through them in this designated area. While Landau has taken his bike to Court in Old Town Alexandria, Leesburg (Loudoun County), he has yet to bike to a hearing before a Federal Administrative Law Judge. However, with this new hearing venue, and its abundant bicycle parking, Landau may very well become “the real deal on 2 wheels” in court as well !

Brain Injury race volunteer Doug Landau of ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia campus

This Fall Doug Landau served as a race volunteer at several area running at multi-sport events.  Helping out at the Reston Triathlon, the Brain Injury Association 10 km and the Williamsburg 5 km, the Ashburn area injury lawyer enjoyed seeing familiar faces and encouraging athletes to to participate for a good cause.  Having been the race director for the “F.A.B. 5″ race that raised money for the Foundation of the Alexandria Bar Association in Old Town, Landau recognizes the time, effort and sweat that goes into a successful athletic fund raiser. “If you have never been a volunteer, you should just do it,” says Landau, paraphrasing the NIKE slogan.  “Volunteering, seeing things from the race crew perspective, enables you to appreciate what the volunteers do for you,” the Loudoun injury lawyer adds.  “There are lots of opportunities in the Leesburg, Fairfax and Manassas areas; you can find a race almost every weekend of the year, just go to our “RACES” section adds Landau, who competed in over a dozen multisport events and two dozen running races so far in 2009.

Anyone who has ridden with me around Broadlands, South Riding, Ashburn Farms or my former home in Franklin Farms knows this injury lawyer never likes to take his hands off of the handlebars. I simply do not have the bike handling skills of the top riders in the peloton top take both hands off the bike and throw them up in the air like you see at the finish of so many cycling races. So does the TriathlonTrialLawyer not signal his intent to turn, slow or stop. No, I place my left arm straight out to my side for left turns, bend it upwards at ninety degrees for a right turn, and bend it won perpendicularly to slow or stop;. I also give audible signals if there are other cyclists close by, especially during the Reston Bike Club evening rides or Potomac Peddler Tours.

According to the Uniform Vehicle Code, CHAPTER 11 – Uniform Vehicle Code: Rules of the Road – Pt. 3 signals ARE required for bikers. However, if you are like me, and need your hands to brake or maneuver, you can signal when it is safe to do so (like when you are coming down a steep hill). The Uniform Vehicle Code section 11-604.Turning movements and required signals.

• (a) No person shall turn a vehicle or move right or left upon a roadway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety nor without giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided.
• (b) A signal of intention to turn or move right or left when required shall be given continuously during not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the vehicle before turning.

This gives any vehicles or cyclists catching up to the biker time to react, maneuver and proceed with caution. Always try to signal when turning or stopping while riding your bicycle. Following bikers, motorists and runners will appreciate your “defensive cycling” so give them a hand and not just a finger !

Brain Injury lawyer Doug Landau of ABRAMS LANDAU, donated a "Wii system"and game software at the "Miracle Mile"

Inhabitants of Montgomery House in Springfield, Virginia will soon be smiling as they heal thanks to local attorney Doug Landau. Following his successful race at Smith Mountain Lake, Landau drove 5 hours from Virginia Tech in order to serve as MC and volunteer at the Brain Injury Association’s annual fundraising event at the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University today.

The law firm of Abrams Landau, Ltd. donated a Wii system to Montgomery House, a fully independent housing program run by Brain Injury Services as part of a partnership with Robert Pierre Johnson Housing Development Corporation (RPJ). The program provides individualized supports through case managers and apartment coaches to enable a survivor of a brain injury to live in the least restrictive environment in their community. This program presently serves men that were either homeless or at risk for homelessness. The Fairfax, Loudoun and Leesburg head injury lawyer Landau presented Brain Injury Services with the gaming system after serving as a volunteer in the organizations annual event, the Kit Callahan’s Miracle Mile, 10K Run/Walk on at GMU in Fairfax, Virginia. Last year, Landau was 5th overall in the 6.2 mile road race, and he hopes that many more runners participate this year.

The Wii was selected because of a recent trend in rehabilitation toward a new treatment technique known as “Wiihab”. Wiihab makes use of the gaming system’s unique, live motion play to offer patients a fun and less painful exercise medium. Abrams Landau, Ltd., along with other traumatic brain injury law firms hope that their donations will ease the recovery of those in need. He has seen how victims of serious accidents are often “left out of the game” after a car crash, sports injury, dog bite attack or bike accident. Doug Landau hopes that this donation will help patients find enjoyment in an otherwise painful and difficult process.

An advocate for victims of car crashes, defective products, dog attacks, and other negligence cases, Doug Landau has been involved with Brain Injury Services and other victim advocacy groups for over 25 years. He believes this organization is vital to the community because victims of traumatic brain injury are often misunderstood by the general public and in need of assistance during their recovery process. Lawyer Landau has represented clients with these injuries and knows the Wii, like other advances in rehabilitation, will help because of the neurological stimulation and hand to eye coordination involved.

Doug Landau, the bikers lawyer, and "Officer McGruff" compare notes on cyclists safety along the W&OD Trail in Herndon

The W&OD Trail passes by the Landau Law Shop in Herndon, and a number of bikers use this path to get to work. “We’re definitely seeing higher numbers,” said Gaylynn Abram, a VDOT transportation planner. She said VDOT is working toward educating bicycle commuters, as well as other vehicle drivers, about safety to decrease the chances of accidents between bicyclists and vehicular traffic. According to the Connection Newspaper article, bicycle commuters will be visiting Herndon on Saturday, September 20, to gather information on safe commuting practices and routes.  Landau has used the trail to bike and run to work. Family members have roller bladed and used wheelchairs to ride the trail. To learn more about safe bicycling practices or to obtain a Fairfax County bicycle map with preferred and less preferred routes, visit the Fairfax County Bike pages.

Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau and 6 time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott

Even an experienced cyclist like Six time Ironman world champion Dave Scott can get struck by car while cycling.  While riding in his home town of Boulder, Colorado, Ironman Champion Dave Scott was hit by a car while on a training ride.  Witness at the scene of the accident report that Scott was conscious and talking after being struck, and that it looked to them like the car accident had potentially broken Scott’s collar bone or separated his shoulder with other multiple cuts on his legs and arms.  News reports indicate that the bike crash took place as he was riding down a hill and a car suddenly made a U-turn in his path.  The motorist was from out of town and was looking at real estate signs.

According to a biker who came on the scene shortly after the crash, the champion triathlete put two massive dents in the driver’s side door. he was taken to the hospital.  Witnesses at the scene also report that Scott was well taken care of by both emergency services and fellow cyclist.  Since 1999, Dave has served as head triathlon coach for Team In Training.  I have met and spoken to Scott at the Columbia and DC Nations Triathlons.  He is personable, with a ready sense of humor and an athlete who lives what he preaches.  I hope that he has a full and complete recovery from this bike crash.