TheAthletesLawyer

A good insurance company should look at the same factors that a judge or jury would look at  in Court.  These would include the following items:

1. Medical expenses (Ambulance, Hospital, physical therapy, medical bills, mileage, medications, miscellaneous), past and anticipated in the future
2. Loss of Earnings (past and future)
3. Damage to the bicycle and other personal property
4. Permanent impairment of the injured arm, leg, etc.
5. Scarring (i.e., scar revision will cost $_______ and cause you to miss ____ days/weeks from work (get an estimate from a board certified plastic surgeon)),
6. Your life expectancy.  In other words, how long will you have to see the orthopedic doctor, take anti-inflammatories, pain medications and have related expenses ?
7. Any increased risk of arthritic changes, bone and joint disease and re-injury
8. Aggravation and inconvenience are also to be compensated in addition to pain, lost wages, lost earning capacity and mental suffering.
9. Did the injured cyclist attempt to mitigate her damages ?
10. Was the injured biker at all at fault in causing the accident ?

For a more in depth approach to this question, please download or order our book “TEN MISTAKES THAT CAN DERAIL YOUR BIKE INJURY CASE.“

Poisonous snakes are a danger to cyclists. Bicycle riders, joggers, roller bladers and skaters need to be aware of dangerous animals in their path

While riding in the Reston Century last Sunday, I almost ran over a snake.  Not just any snake, but a poisonous copperhead that was sunning itself in the middle of the path !  Luckily, I avoided contact with the venomous reptile, but this is not the first time I have seen a large snake on the W&OD Trail in Loudoun County.  Another snake incident nearly caused me to swerve and crash.  And, a black snake my wife ran over nearly bit me as I followed her near the Luck quarry ! While these snakes can be quite beautiful, it is best to give them a wide berth and not incite an attack that could prove fatal.

The Reston Runners website also reports “An unusually high number of copperhead snakes have recently been reported in Fairfax County. Copperheads are venomous snakes that are found here and throughout Virginia.”  In tomorrow’s post, I will share some excellent tips from an Australian cycling site.  The Aussies have to contend with a number of the most dangerous poisonous snakes on the planet, so their bikers and runners have a lot of good safety information to share with athletes here in America.

The 3rd Annual Bolt for Babies 5K running race benefitting the March of Dimes was held today at Marymount’s Arlington Campus.  The March of Dimes is the champion for ALL babies and continues to make strides in the fight against premature birth!

DC area running stalwart James Scarborough and Herndon trial lawyer Doug Landau after the March of Dimes "Bolt for Babies" 5k this morning

The March of Dimes also has such fund-raising  events as “Bikers for Babies” and “Walk for Babies.”  This year’s Bolt for Babies was a huge success with over 125 participants.  According to the official results, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau of Herndon managed to get 5th place overall, and was a top age group finisher, easily winning the 50-59 age category.  Landau was using today’s event to prepare for the USAT National Sprint Triathlon Championships at the end of September.  While his time was slow (6:45 per mile average), his placing and lack of soreness afterwards were encouraging.  Tomorrow the Virginia sports injury lawyer intends to do a “brick” workout on the Reston Triathlon bike and run courses, as the ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. attorney is scheduled to be a volunteer at South Lakes High School on Saturday and then race on Sunday, September 12th, 2010.

Reston Century bike riders at the Hamilton rest stop

The 28th Annual Reston Century took place today, starting and finishing at the Reston Town Center Pavilion.  Over 1,200 bicycle riders enjoyed the excellent weather, Virginia’s rolling hills, snow cones, lunch and a great t-shirt this year.  Herndon sports injury lawyer Doug Landau also managed to eat a half dozen peanut butter & jelly sandwiches at the Loudoun bike rest stop, as he did not expect to do over 108 miles on his sprint triathlon racing bike !

Traveling with friends from Herndon, the Reston Bike Club and the WorldGators Masters team at Sport & Health, Worldgate, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer managed to finish in a little over 8 hours.  The Triathlon Trial Lawyer saw no accidents, injuries, crashes or other mishaps on the roads or W&OD Trail.  In fact, Loudoun County police were out to provide extra safety at otherwise dangerous road crossings and insections.  While this is longer than any athletic event Landau has ever signed up for or ever plans to do, the athletic Virginia Trial Lawyer believes that it is important to have strength and endurance in order to succeed in sometimes gruelling trials.  The Reston Bike Club puts on safe rides and other events, and Landau and his wife have joined in order to participate in their weeknight rides in Reston and Herndon.

Doug Landau at the 20 mile marker of the W&OD Trail by the caboose in Herndon, Virginia, about 100 yards from the ABRAMS LANDAU buildings

In a word, “yes.”  Not including my own crashes while commuting, racing or just riding, I recently caused another rider to fall.  While riding with the Reston Bike Club, I got carried away talking to a new acquaintance.  I caused another rider to go off the the lip of the road – there was no shoulder, as it was the new construction near Shaker Woods in Herndon, Virginia.  Luckily the young cyclist, a Pharmacist with Prosperity Pharmacy suffered some scrapes and road rash but no more serious injury and is back riding (I later saw her again at the Reston Century !).  I have also since ridden with the Reston Bike Club “4s” as well as the 3s and 2s.  Riding with the Reston riders is fun, great exercise and I believe safer than riding alone sometimes.  I usually carry a small first aid kit as well as a phone, just in case another rider has a fall.  Hopefully, the rest of my 2010 bike riding season will be safe and uneventful…

ABRAMS LANDAU Trial lawyer Doug Landau has helped clients injured by potholes and other roadway defects.  One case in the District of Columbia involved a pothole that swallowed the ABRAMS LANDAU client’s front wheel while driving under L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C.  Another client of cyclist lawyer Doug Landau was injured when his bicycle tire went into a hole on the Virginia bike path that was filled with water so it was impossible to see the dangerous condition.  Recently brought to the Herndon Reston injury lawyer’s attention was a lawsuit over a pot hole accident that settled in Missouri.

According to the Kansas Star, Jackson County Missouri, has agreed to a $270,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by a cyclist who crashed his bike in a pot hole last summer. The plaintiff in this personal injury lawsuit was riding his motorcycle in east Jackson County when he pot hole ankle-deep and as wide as his arms, his lawsuit claims, suffering serious injuries. The suit alleges the county was previous aware of the dangerous pot hole but had done nothing to fix it.  Where there is a dangerous condition and sufficient “notice” such that the landowner knew or should have known about it and fixed, warned or taken other action to prevent foreseeable injuries, the law may affix liability and hold such a defendant liable for all of the Plaintiff’s reasonable and related losses.

If you have been harmed by the negligence or fault of a landowner, occupier, maintenance company or management group, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).

Police road protection officers are often a Triathlon, Duathlon & Running Race Director’s biggest single expense

Having directed and volunteered at a number of running races, triathlons and tennis tournaments over the years, Broad Run, Ashburn and Leesburg bike crash lawyer Doug Landau knows that the big expense items are: Police protection, Insurance and Permits.  Having local law enforcement secure dangerous intersections and road crossings can insure a safer race.  The Loudoun Fairfax and Prince William sports injury lawyer has seen too many “near misses” and uncontrolled race intersections where the question was not “Would there be a crash ?’ but rather, “When would a biker or runner be injured in an accident ?”

In some cities, having police can cost a conscientious race director several thousands of dollars.  Some towns require a police officer at each road crossing.  When then Alexandria injury lawyer Landau directed the “FAB 5km” in Old Town, he carefully avoided crossing streets by using the Mount Vernon Trail and Oronoco Park.  In addition to the physical presence of the police officers, their police cruisers lights, flares and safety cones can also help prevent car crashes with runners or big trucks accidentally coming onto the race course !  So the next time you are wondering were your entry fee goes, remember to include the charitable beneficiary of the fundraising, the SWAG you will show off later and the safety personnel.

"Bike to Work Day" next Friday morning, May 21st, is a great excuse to commute on 2 wheels - but don't forget your helmet !

Bike to Work Day is May 21st.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau enjoys participating in Bike to Work Day, seeing friends at the rest stops, and picking up useful “SWAG” (”Stuff We All Get”).  This year, 35 pit stops around the region will offer snacks, drinks and other services to bikers, including 8 stops in Fairfax County and one in the City of Fairfax.  The local “Pit Stops” include the Herndon Town Green down the block from the “Landau Law Shop.”  While many injured cyclists have been helped by ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., we hope that there are no bike crashes or injuries that require our assistance.  The Fairfax area Pit Stops will be found next Friday morning at:

• Reston Town Center
• Vienna Town Green near the W&OD Trail
• Van Dyck Park in Fairfax City
• Fairfax Corner (near Coastal Flats)
• Booz Allen Hamilton in Tysons Corner, 8283 Greensboro Drive
• Metro Park business park, on Walker Lane in Springfield
• Merrifield Park (Strawberry Lane and Gallows Road)
• Burke Virginia Railway Express park and ride lot
• Herndon Town Green near the W&OD Trail

We hope to see a large turnout of Loudoun, Fairfax and Leesburg bikers for this fun, free and environmentally friendly annual event !

Leesburg injury lawyer Doug Landau bikes to Loudoun Court house on Friday afternoon !

Because the Loudoun County Court House is not far from the W&OD Trail, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau has biked to court !  It is less than 20 miles from the “Landau Law Shop” to the Circuit Court in Leesburg.  A Wrongful Death and Declaratory Judgment action filed by ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. was being submitted for approval by the Loudoun Circuit Court Friday afternoon.  Doug Landau has received a policy limits offer from the Defendant’s car insurance company for the fatal car crash after the Herndon Reston area law firm’s liability investigation was completed.

In order to get the family additional benefits, Landau filed a “Declaratory Judgement Action” so that the Circuit Court could issue a ruling on whether insurance policies held by other members of the family could also be accessed in order to compensate the plaintiffs for their losses.  The Circuit Court judge approved a $300,000 settlement, whereby the Defendant’s insurance company paid its policy limits of $100,000; a daughter living in the home’s policy paid $100,000 and another car owned by the family also paid its policy limits of $100,000.  If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in an accident, please e-mail or call ABRAMS LANDAU (703-796-9555) today so that we can help them and their family with all their potential claims.

Many bikers commuting on "Bike to Work Day" will go right past the Herndon Reston Sterling area Landau Law Shop

It’s free, it’s fun and it’s physical !  “Bike to Work Day” is in 3 weeks.  Join thousands of area commuters and Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work!  There rate 35 regional pit stops, with SWAG, mechanics and riders of all levels.  Try a ride into the city with experienced commuter convoys and meet your fellow cyclists at Freedom Plaza.  Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections invite you to try bicycling to work as an alternative to solo driving. Help the Washington region become a better place to ride, a cleaner environment and a healthier community.  Bike to Work Day is a FREE event and open to all area commuters.  The ABRAMS LANDAU sports injury lawyer has participated a number of times, and Doug Landau enjoys the camaraderie, mechanical check ups and the freebies.  There will be a raffle, prizes, food, drink and more at all pit stops throughout the region.  Free T-shirts will available for the first 8,500 registrants who are in attendance at the pit stop they registered for in advance.  Registration for Bike to Work Day 2010 is now open!
Click on the pit stop link and register for the pit stop rally you plan to attend.  Raffles will be held at each pit stop for prizes including commuter bags, bike locks, and bicycles.