TheAthletesLawyer

Franklin Farms bike crash lawyer Doug Landau advocates wearing bright colors when cycling, and often dons fluorescent yellow, orange and green bike gear when biking.  But even the TriathlonTrialLawyer was surprised to read the news story in this month’s TRIAL magazine about a driver who was found guilty in Oregon of “Hit and run” as well as “leaving the scene” of an accident.  According to the case report, the Defendant driver hit a pedicab operator.  The pedicab driver was 6-feet-tall and wearing an orange bunny suit for Easter !  Furthermore, the innocent victim’s pedicab had reflectors and  blinking red light.  The pedicab driver noted, “I was very visible.”  Evidence tends to suggest that the Defendant driver could have also been charged with “failure to pay full time and attention” to their driver when they hit this six-foot-tall orange bicycling Easter Bunny !

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a car crash with a bike, pedicab, motorcycle or tandem, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU (703-796-9555), as there are legal time limits for bringing such claims.

Bike crash lawyer Doug Landau gives Sports & Health Clubs Spin group cycling instructor Lisa Adams a copy of his latest book "10 Mistakes that can derail your bike injury case."

After surviving a double spin cycle class with Sports & Health instructor Lisa Adams, injured athletes’ lawyer Doug Landau presented her with a copy of his new book, “10 Mistakes that can derail your bike injury case.” As indoor group cycling classes are safer than outdoor biking, many of those who ride with Ms. Adams indoors also bike outdoors in the good weather. Landau hopes that by sharing his book with bike coaches, spin instructors and cycling teams, injured cyclists will be better informed as to their rights. If you or someone you know has been injured in a bike crash or cycling accident, please e-mail the ABRAMS LANDAU team or call 703-796-9555.

Running in the Ashenfelter 8K Classic, sports injury lawyer Doug Landau ran 32:30 (131 out of 1,850 finishers). This was the United States Track & Field NJ Championship Road Race. Landau has raced in 4 National Championship (USAT Duathlon, RRCA Hour Track Run, USAT&F Indoor and Cross Country) races in 2009.

The Ashenfelter race is produced by the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation. TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau improved his time by two and a half minutes this year, averaging 6:32 per mile over the 8K (4.97 miles) course, with splits of 6:26 to 6:36 per mile. This race was staged at the Glen Ridge New Jersey High School and featured disposable computer chip timing devices for accurate and almost instant results as well as eco-friendly shopping bags. The Manassas and Prince William County car and bike crash lawyer then joined his family in Short Hills, New Jersey for a traditional Thanksgiving holiday supper.

TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau once again took part in a New York Road Runners Club (”NYRRC”) race in Central Park this week. A former member of the NYRRC, Landau and his sister run races in Manhattan to support worthy charities and to see who has still got some of their former track team speed. The “Race to Deliver” was a 4 mile race through Central Park with almost 5,000 participants. The beneficiary of the race proceeds was “God’s Love We Deliver.” This charity provides meals to the many men, women, and children dealing with illness in and around New York City. As the race promo stated, “In just four miles, you can touch the lives of thousands.” Here are the Landaus with friends and supporters of the Race to Deliver meals to those with disabling illnesses in New York City.

Sports injury lawyer Doug Landau attended the last game of the Columbia football team in New York City this weekend. The Columbia University Lions defeated last year’s Ivy League champions. While Brown University fearsome defense and consistent play made them the favorites, the blue Lions had one of their best games of the season and won 28-14.

What the athletes’ lawyer from Herndon found particularly impressive was the announcements as to the senior players’ fields of study. These were not just “P.E.” majors or footballers who had majored in “rocks for jocks,” but rather some heavy duty curricula in the sciences. These are true student athletes who have treated their education with the same, or greater seriousness, as their athletics.

Herndon Injury and accident lawyer Doug Landau was contacted this week by the news in follow up to a fatal hit and run. Our client was crossing the street across from the amusement rides where he worked when a car crashed into him and then fled the scene. Our client sustained fatal injuries and died shortly after the impact with the car. The police have found a car with damage that matches the impact with my client’s body, and they are tracking down the owner and operator. No charges have yet been filed, and it appears that the car was reported stolen. However, the car crash happened at about 9 PM, and the stolen vehicle report was not made until several hours later. The client’s family has made arrangements and we have filed a claim on their behalf. However, until the police investigation is completed, what actually happened will be unclear.

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.

This was the crux of a notice Loudoun, Fairfax and Leesburg brain injury lawyer Doug Landau received in Charlottesville while preparing for the appeal of a brain injury case.

The Stroke Association wants people to know that strokes are the #3 killer in this country, yet many people don’t even know what they are. They don’t know that more of the brain can be saved if a stroke is detected and treatment is received immediately. Strokes begin when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or bursts. Blow flow is cut off. Tissue is starved for oxygen, and parts of the brain die. If not treated quickly, abilities and productive life can be lost. Learn to spot the warning signs of a stroke or call 1-888-4-STROKE, and act quickly. Your brain is your most prized possession. Guard it with your life.

While riding his bicycle eastbound on Clarendon Boulevard, just past the intersection with Edgewood Street, another innocent biker was struck by a careless motorist today.  The cyclist was in the designated bicycle lane, as was the case with our client who was injured by a taxi turning into the Starbucks. See post.

In the area of this bike crash there are two lanes of eastbound traffic, then the bike lane, then a parking lane to the right. The parking lane was filled with parked cars so the cyclist was blocked to the right, and traffic was moving on the left. Suddenly, and without any warning, the BMW swerved from the traffic lane, across the bike lane, trying to get into a set of two open parking spots (So as to drive through the rear of the two and park in the forward one, without having to back up into a spot).

The BMW cut the biker off and flipped the cyclist over his handlebars.  Striking the cement, the cyclist had injuries to his face, hands, elbows and leg.  Eye witnesses immediately called the police and an ambulance.  The BMW driver was ticketed at the scene, but as many drivers well know, this does not mean that he will be found guilty, convicted or made to pay any restitution.  The biker has lacerations on his face, pain and difficulty seeing.  In addition, his bicycle sustained damage that will form the basis of a property damage claim.  Everyone at ABRAMS LANDAU wishes the innocent cyclist a speedy recovery.  We hope that he is able to get back “in the saddle” soon and resume his enjoyable cycling.  If you, or someone you know, has been injured while riding their bike, please call us or e-mail us at once.  Experienced bicycle crash lawyer Dog Landau notes that “after the Traffic Court trials, it is very hard to properly investigate and prepare these claims for successful resolution.”

When a friend showed up at the offices of ABRAMS LANDAU after an adult ice hockey match with a fractured orbit and impressive shiner, Ashburn and Reston sports injury lawyer Doug Landau looked into the injury, frequency and steps to prevent such head and facial trauma.

Orbital blowout fractures are cracks or breaks in the facial bones surrounding the “socket” that houses the eyeball. Orbital fractures of the facial ones surrounding the eye can result from such blunt trauma as getting hit by an ice hockey stick, puck or opponent’s elbow. Blows to the face and head can result in concussion, loss of consciousness and orbital fractures and eye injury. Wearing face masks has dramatically reduced the risk of eye injuries, including orbital lacerations and facial fractures. In players wearing partial or no protection, eye trauma resulting from a stick, puck, or elbow can cause hyphema, orbit fracture, retinal detachment, or globe rupture. According to The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine, no blinding eye injury has ever been reported in a hockey player wearing full facial protection.

Total head and face protection is essential for any collision sport. In ice hockey, the risk of eye injury is not so much from collision as from a flying puck. The use of face masks in amateur ice hockey in Canada led to a 66 percent reduction in eye injuries, as reported in the Textbook of Orthpaedics, Trauma & Sports Medicine

Bottom line: players should wear head and face protection in ice hockey games and practices in order to prevent eye, face and head injury.