The Athlete's Lawyer

Before giving a new free Bell helmet to each 5th grader at Rolling Ridge Elementary School in Sterling Virginia, Doug Landau teaches these Loudoun County Public School students about brain injury and bike safety

After last year’s success in educating students about brain injury and giving out free bicycle helmets, a goal of 365 helmets was set for 2012.  The campaign was to be “a helmet a day” to protect school children from preventable head injury.  Setting goals and achieving them is a common occurrence at the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU. 

All cyclists, rollerbladers, long boarders and skate boarders should wear head protection.  To that end, Herndon sports injury lawyer Doug Landau visited with Rolling Ridge Elementary School 5th graders in Sterling Virginia. With the help of Loudoun County Police officers, every child was fitted with their own brand new Bell bike helmet. Lawyer Landau also gave educational presentations and distributed free bicycle helmet to Herndon, Fairfax and Reston 6th graders this month so that the students and their families could learn how to properly wear their bike helmets.  The ABRAMS LANDAU GIVING PAGE on FaceBook has more pictures from these presentations.

Doug Landau and his nephew are getting ready for the Jack Corkey Memorial Aquathon at the Herndon Virginia Community Center. Get your blue goggles on !

It’s official ! Check out the Town of Herndon, Virginia’s web site. The Town’s site says, “On Saturday, February 25, the Herndon Community Center will be hosting the Jack Corkey Memorial Aquathon. Please click here for information about the event and for the registration form. Lane availability for lap swimming will be limited in the morning due to this event.” Race information can also be found at the Washington Running Report Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau and the Herndon Aquatics Center staff look forward to seeing all area multisport athletes at this fun event.

Double Down Race Directors presented Herndon Injury Lawyer Doug Landau with his medal after he completed the Runners Den 5km and 10km races in Phoenix, Arizona before the Association fort Justice CLE sessions resumed

Just as the best trial lawyers plan successful case trials well in advance, top endurance athletes often decide on pace, nutrition, gear and even sleep well before the day of the race. Such was the case with today’s race, where sprint specialist Doug Landau was going to be running over a half-marathon in total distance. Rather than run with other lawyers at the Scottsdale Convention site, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau chose to run in the competitive 34th Annual Runners Den 5k and 10k races in Phoenix, Arizona. To do so successfully, the Herndon sports injury lawyer had to contend with Read the rest of this entry »

Usually excited for the swim to get underway, Reston triathletes will not compete in Lake Audubon this weekend due to safety issues

Due to the torrential rains that have struck Northern Virginia, the dedicated directors of the annual Reston Triathlon have decided to eliminate the swim for only the second time in the popular multisport event’s history. The following was posted on the Reston Triathlon Association‘s web site:

Swim portion of the 28th annual Reston Triathlon has been canceled. Our lake official has been checking the lake since yesterday and has come to the decision that in the interest of safety it is not safe to swim in the lake…there is widespread disappointment but “Safety Is First.”

All racers will be notified by email of the cancellation and of plans for a replacement run as soon as the board has met to determine the details.

Triathlon Trial Lawyer, All American Triathlete and Virginia Triathlon Series (“VTS”) race sponsor Doug Landau adds that racers should also be mindful of debris on the roads when cycling, and perhaps “preview” the course once again since the storms have ended. Tight turns with washout, leaves, bark and other organic matter on the pavement and an early morning start can all contribute to less traction on the road surface. “Let’s all bike safely – the Reston Triathlon race directors cannot sweep every centimeter of the race course, and road flooding requires extra vigilance on the part of all participants.” adds Herndon Reston lawyer Landau. “In light of these changed conditions and as I have at least 2 more VTS competitions this season, I am not going to be putting the ‘pedal to the metal’ Sunday. I encourage all participants to enjoy the race, the shwag and the comraderie and ride safely.”

Doug Landau, of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., at the start of the Newton crosss country run during the Multisport World conference in Bethesda, Maryland

DC, Maryland and Virginia Triathletes, Duathletes, Runners, Bikers, Swimmers and Rowers were treated to some outstanding lectures, demonstrations, clinics and competition at this past weekend’s Multisport World in North Bethesda. There were individual and team competitions in swimming relay, cross country running and indoor computrainer cycling events. Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau competed in the running and cycling events. The 5km race was sponsored by Newton running shoe company, and Landau wore his custom-cut Newtons around the Georgetown Prep Track, golf course and roads. Top finishers and teams got free shoes !

For the 10km. time trial inside the Expo hall, Landau brought his bike and shoes, and a change of clothes, as he was soaked afterwards ! The school’s locker room and facilities were excellent, and this event is sure to get bigger each year. Cheered on by friends from the DC Triathlon Club, RATS (Reston Area TriathleteS), Team FeXY, Team Z, TriCats, SetUp Inc., Rehab 2 Racing and others, the Herndon injury lawyer was able to average over 22 miles per hour on the hilly course and over 230 watts !

Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau, SPOKES publisher Neil Sandler, Virginia Triathlon Series race director Greg Hawkins, and Rehab 2 Racing Triathlon Coach Rob Colburn survey the scene at the 2011 Multisport World Expo in Bethesda, MD

Multisport World came to the Mid Atlantic region today. Developed in partnership with USAT Mid-Atlantic Region and held at the state-of-the-art Hanley Center for Athletic Excellence at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Maryland, triathletes, duathletes, bikers, runners and swimmers were treated to a full day of activities. The local high school’s indoor track, pool and conference rooms were devoted to multisport seminars, training clinics, workshops, competitive events and more. The first 500 registered attendees received swag bags with product samples, money-saving coupons and more. Plus all registered attendees were eligible to win valuable prizes and receive discounts to selected Multisport World clinics.

The campus golf course and outdoor track were the venues for the Newton running shoes demonstration and challenging 5km and the pristine pool, held Total Immersion swim clinics. Georgetown Prep was the site of the Bethesda Cure Autism Now Sprint Triathlon (yes, that’s my photo on the far right, exiting the pool en route to winning the race 2 years ago !). All of the big names, and clubs from Virginia, Maryland and DC triathlon were there. There were also a number of newcomers and there was something for everyone, from “newbie” to veteran. In the following posts, the competitions and other news will be published.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) in cooperation with EB Brands, of Yonkers, New York announced a voluntary recall of Resistance Stretch Tubing manufactured in China. Having used these types of exercise devices to work out at home and at the gym, sports injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that strength training equipment should be built to withstand normal use without injuring the athlete. Landau’s opwn family members have used products like this for swim training and rehabilitation. At the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., it is important to help prevent future injuries to consumers and athletes, as well as asist them after injuries caused through no fault of their own. With this particular exercise product, the handle on the tubing, also called bands, can break or detach while in use, causing the tubing or handle to strike the user and posing an injury hazard. There has already been a report of an incident involving a bone injury.

This recall involves Everlast Resistance Stretch Tubing, Everlast Pilates Stretch Tubing, Sportline Resistance Stretch Tubing and Pineapple Pilates Stretch Tubing, used for exercise and stretching. The tubing comes in yellow, blue or black with black handles. The words “2404″, “2001 EB Sport Group” and “Made in China” are molded on the handles. A list of affected lot numbers is available on the EB Sports Group’s website.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. For additional information, contact EB Brands at (800) 624-5671. A picture of recalled stretch tubing can be found at the CPSC recall website.

When I followed professional football as a teenager in the 1970s, only Bubba Smith weighed more than 300 pounds. Now, “super sized” linemen are commonplace. Can you imagine a 300 pound person falling on top of you ? How about 2 or 3 ?!!? What about the health effects on these gigantic players, making sudden movements with all that weight, hitting each other and running anaerobically ? And what happens to these large men when their playing days are over, and they are no longer professional athletes looked after by a team of doctors, trainers and dietitians ?

According to a report in the New York Times, there are more than 500 300-pounders presently. A 1994 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study found that former offensive and defensive linemen had a 52% higher rate of death from cardiovascular disease than did the general population. Since then, the players at these positions have only gotten bigger, with the average weight in the NFL 252 pounds. A 2005 University of North Carolina study found that more than a quarter of the NFL’s players fit the category of Class II obesity, Read the rest of this entry »

Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., was runner up in his age group at the Reston Town Center New Year's Day 5k road running race

In a new addition to the New Years Day racing lineup in Northern Virginia, our friends at Potomac River Running (“PRR”) have come up with a New Year’s Day 5k in Reston. The 5k started on Market Street at the Reston Town Center at the very civilized hour of 10 a.m. One of the advantages of this venue is that there is plenty of free parking available in the numerous garages at the Town Center. The race was computer chip timed, and packet pick up was available at the PRR Reston store. Read the rest of this entry »

When going to the office on cold winter mornings, I have seen bikers in covered helmets, booties and thick gloves braving the elements. However, motorists around the W&OD Trail are often surprised to see cyclists and animals coming off the path and crossing Herndon, Sterling and Loudoun County roadways. When a biker or deer appears in front of you on a snow covered road, and there is not enough time to brake, the following suggestions come from Rally Coach Tim O’Neil so that you do not end up killing the cyclist, the deer, yourself or totaling your car.

• Take your foot of the gas immediately. Do not fixate on the biker, deer or motorcycle – you will just drive straight at it if you do. Instead, look at the rear wheel or animal’s hindquarters, since cyclists, deer, elk, etc. are not likely to go into reverse ! Turn the steering wheel 90 degree to your right.
• Now your vehicle is headed toward the shoulder, ditch, guardrail, etc. Do not panic. You should look at where you want the car to go. Fix your eyes on the center of the road and turn left twice as far, about 180 degrees.
• Once you have cleared the obstacle, animal, human or other, counter steer 45 degrees to your right and hit the gas to straighten out.

Hopefully, these tips will enable you to “live and let live.” A car crash with a deer, cyclist or object in the road can be catastrophic. The damage we have seen caused by impacts with deer are truly astounding. The losses caused by car crashes with animals and cyclists are some of the most severe we see at the Landau Law Shop. you might even want to practice, and take the newer drivers in your household out to an empty, safe parking lot, to practice winter driving techniques in order to prevent injury, property loss and death.