TheAthletesLawyer

Bike crash and head injury lawyer Doug Landau always wears his helmet when riding his bicycle outdoors

Sports and recreational injury lawyer Doug Landau is proud to announce that the DC Trial Lawyers Foundation is giving away 200 bike helmets to D.C. kids on Thursday, June 10, 2010.  The event will take place at the Anne Beers Elementary School located at 3600 Alabama Ave SE Washington DC.  The hours are from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Stop by any time!  This event was rescheduled from an earlier date in June.  The DC Trial Lawyers Foundation is the charitable arm of the DC Trial Lawyers Association.

Attending the monthly educational meetings of the Trial Lawyers of DC enables Herndon Reston and Leesburg injury lawyer Doug Landau to keep abreast of the latest developments in personal injury law in the District of Columbia.  Landau is an active member of the DC and Virginia Trial Lawyers Associations in order to share notes and strategies with other experienced trial lawyers in the DC Metropolitan area.  Landau, who has represented injured bikers, children and athletes, also belongs to, teaches and writes for the American Association for Justice (”AAJ”), the national trial lawyer association for many of the same reasons.

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 !

Avid cyclist, duathlete and Triathlon Trial lawyer Doug Landau compares state laws on "Comparitive Negligence" and the time it takes to get a sports injury case to a jury in Court

In yesterday’s post, the verdict in favor of the injured athlete was reported after an 8 year wait for the cyclist’s “day in court.”  The damages supporting the $2,900,000 jury verdict were substantial.  The permanently injured biker broke 4 vertebrae in her neck.  When the accident happened, the Plaintiff was host of a local-access television program about mountain biking. The injured cyclist now works at the front desk of a health club; she previously worked as an illustrator of children’s books.

The long wait to get to trial does not surprise injured athletes lawyer Doug Landau, who has prevailed in personal injury cases in Connecticut many years after the crash or dog attack.  This bike crash personal injury lawsuit took eight years to resolve the case because of a dispute about whether the Metropolitan District Commission (”MDC”) was immune from responsibility.  After a four-day trial, the jury decided the authority was not immune from responsibility for the injuries and harms caused by its negligence. However, the jury also found that the Plaintiff was partially responsible.

In Virginia, that finding, that the Plaintiff was partially to blame, would have resulted in a Defense verdict according to injured and disabled bikers’ lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. In ABRAMS LANDAU cases in Connecticut and other Northern States, injured clients benefit from the law of “Comparitive Fault” but wait many years for their “day in court.” Another interesting note about the case is that three Plaintiff had offered to settle the case for less than the amount awarded by the jury, but MDC refused.  If you or someone you know has been injured while riding their bicycle in a car crash, due to an unsafe condition or because of a product defect, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) right away, as their are important time deadlines in every legal claim.

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.

Doug Landau after the finish of the Ovarian Cancer 5k

How can Doug Landau be 7th across the finish line and yet end up 5th over all ? With computer chip timing, Landau’s “chip time” was good enough for 4th male, 5th overall and an age group first place at the “Silence on Ovarian Cancer” 5k.  The Triathlon Trial Lawyer missed the start by 30 seconds, and then ran as he would a duathlon competition, trying to catch as many of those in front of him as he could before the finish line !

Finish line celebration at Reston Town Center this morning

Meghan Ridgley of Reston, Virginia  repeated as the women’s winner in 18:32.  Even more impressive was the fact that she was also the overall winner !  Running just under 6 minutes per mile, Ms. Ridgley was chased by several hundred men all trying to be first across the line at the Reston Town Center fountain.  The Reston Potomac River Running Store star ran a great race and will likely be at the front of many summer races this season.

This race is more a victory celebration for survivors and memorial for loved ones who have succumbed.  Ovarian cancer can sneak up and quickly take a life.  At least two dozen women who have survived ran in the event.  Nearly one thousand participants were treated to a bright spring morning after some morning rain and heavy winds.

After DUathlon Nationals, TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau went to a spin class and learned of SportFit's FREE triathlon cycling seminar TODAY at Worldgate Sport & Health

As part of the 2010 SportFit TRIATHLON CLINIC SERIES Doug & Beth Baumgarten will once again hold a free clinic at the Worldgate Sport & Health Club in Herndon, Virginia.  If you are a first time (or novice) triathlete or an experienced multisport competitor, SPORTFIT LAB is a source for information on training, equipment, and race preparation.   Educational and bike safety seminars such as produced by the Baumgartens will hopefully increase the skills of participants in local triathlons, duathlons and bike races, and decrease the number of bike crashes, athletic injuries and sports accidents.  The husband and wife team has scheduled concise 90-minute sessions for athletes learn the latest science of triathlon training.

NEXT CLINIC: FRIDAY MAY 7th- 5:30-7:00 P.M. AT SPORTFIT LAB (Worldgate):

“THE BIKE IN TRIATHLON”

For more information, contact: SPORTFIT CONSULTING LLC of Northern Virginia

Email: db@sportfitconsulting.com   Phone: 703-657-7609   Mobile: 301-448-5499   Fax: 888-750-2869

W&OD Trail patrol member visits Thursday Farmers Market in Herndon, just down the street from the Landau Law Shop

While visiting the Herndon Thursday morning Farmers Market down the street from our buildings, I spotted a cyclist in a yellow “Trail Patrol” outfit.  While I and others from the Landau Law Shop had helped to clean the trail and volunteered as course marshals for running and bicycling events on this wonderful path, I did not know that there were official “Trail Patrol” members, as well as the Herndon police, on 2 wheels !

Neal was kind enough to share with me “W&OD Trail Rules and Guidelines” on cards in English and Spanish, so that I could help educate Trail users and continue to promote rider, runner, skater, cross country skier, roller blader, skate boarder and walker safety on this Northern Virginia Regional Park path.  Because we represent injured athletes, victims of car crashes, disabled cyclists and battered bikers, at ABRAMS LANDAU we see the devastation unsafe driving and cycling can cause.  Following up last week’s “ringing the bell for safety,” I intend to have these cards at the Reston Bike Club ride sign up table tonight !   In addition to Trail clean up and sponsorship, the Friends of the W&OD have programs and personnel serving Northern Virginia.  You can reach the W&OD Trail office at WOD@NVRPA.org or (703-729-0596)

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.

USAT Executive Director Skip Gilbert at the National Duathlon Championships with Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau discussing athlete safety, bicycle laws and "rules of the road" for bikers, runners and race directors

Finding the news of the arrests of charity cyclists and triathletes “disturbing,” USAT Executive Director Skip Gilbert was finally able to meet with Doug Landau in Richmond after the National Duathlon Festival in Richmond.  Gilbert told the injured athletes lawyer that he would, “see what we can do to help.”

Landau noted that, “when Loudoun County authorities arrest the runners, they will have achieved the ‘Triathlon TriFecta’ !  First the “Speedo 6,” then the “MS-8.”  What will be next ?  Bringing the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Paddy Wagon to the Leesburg 10/20 km or LoCo Triathlon ?  Cuffing Potomac River Runners at the Twilight Festival if they do not come to a complete stop at a stop sign or stop light during their warm up and/or cool down ?” A lot of area athletes are upset, as are the police & prosecutors.  When NBC came out to the ABRAMS LANDAU law office by the Herndon Caboose (the 20 mile mark of the 50+ mile W&OD Trail from D.C. to Leesburg), the filming revealed that NOT A SINGLE CYCLIST knew that they could:

1. lose their driver’s license,
2. get points on their Division of MOTOR Vehicles (”DMV”) record,
3. be convicted of a moving violation, and
4. have their insurance rates adversely impacted.

Landau’s own polling of Reston Bike Club members, discussions with Winchester Wheelmen and Tidewaters bikers, yield similar results.  So Landau and Gilbert have been corresponding for months as the sports injury lawyer was advised to contact the USAT before “Round 3.”  In the interests of safety and consistency, it is hoped that a coherent policy, rules of the road and enforcement will be promulgated.