The Athlete's Lawyer

Youth sports build strong bodies, teach “team work” and help stem the trend toward obesity that has the attention of America’s health care providers.  However, there are statistics demonstrating emergency Room visit s for teenagers are tripling over a 10 year period.  Sports Medicine researchers are concerned that “bigger, stronger and faster” may not be good for the health of America’s young athletes.   An October 2010 study published in the Medical Journal Pediatrics tracked concussions among athletes in organized youth sports between 1997 and 2007, using a national surveillance network of hospital emergency rooms.

Researchers from Brown University found that the pace of ER visits for concussions had nearly doubled among 8- to 13-year-olds, and more than tripled among players Read the rest of this entry »

At least at the start of the race when the canon fires.  That was Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau’s experience when he ran the New York City Marathon.  He and his brother both ran on other people’s sweat clothes, gloves, hats, mittens and other garments for what seemed like the first mile !  This surreal experience drove home the magnitude of the event and the logistical planning required by the New York Road Runners Club (“NYRRC”) to stage a world-class event in one of the busiest cities on the planet.   At the start on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, there will be 1,694 portable toilets, 42,000 PowerBars, 90,000 bottles of water and 563 pounds of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee beans, enough to make 45,000 cups. About 500 volunteers will collect more than 10 tons of sweat suits, sleeping bags and Snuggies, much of which will be cleaned and given to charities. The bridge must be cleared within an hour of the last runner’s leaving. More than 70 United Parcel Service trucks will take the athletes’ belongings to the finish line.

According to the New York Times, among the more than 6,000 volunteers on race day are medical workers at the 38 aid stations. They will have on hand 11,410 pounds of ice, 13,475 bandages, 57,059 salt packages and 390 tubs of Vaseline. They will have 435 cots and 30 defibrillators that, hopefully, will not be needed.

Herndon Virginia biker lawyer Doug Landau applauds the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's free membership offer to Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC bicycle police officers

As part of the Washington Area Bicyclist Associations ongoing efforts to improve roadways safety and build relationshis with the law enforcement officers responsible for helping to enforce traffic laws in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, the WABA has begin offering free memberships.  Any law enforcement officer in the DC Metropolitan area who rides a bike as part of his or her duties is eligible.  The WABA is encouraging members to reach out to local police ion the community.  It’s simple: if they ride a bicycle as part of their job they qualify for free membership.

As WABA members frequently interact with local police on a number of matters, from roadway safety, and enforcement concerns, to special events, information seeking after crashes and near misses.  WABA members recognize the life-and-death importance that enforcement of traffic laws can have for cyclists sharing the road with motor vehicles of all sizes.  Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. will be advising Herndon’s bike-based officers about this free benefit.  Hopefully, all of the bicycle officers in Herndon and Reston Virginia as well as those who traverse the W&OD Trail will soon have WABA memberships and receive the excellent “Ride On” publication.

Sometimes, after running long distances in extremely cold conditions, Herndon Virginia sports injury lawyer Doug Landau, despite wearing layers, shows little brain activity !

When it gets dark earlier in the evening, and when glare and low sunsets compromise driver’s vision, it’s best to run off the roads or with a group.  Join a local running group in your area and enjoy your running.  Running off roads has its own set of special hazards.  For one thing, the uneven surfaces that I favor can cause twisted ankle in the low light conditions this time of year.  Also, the cold temperatures make soft cinder, mud and grass courses more unforgiving, leading to stress on the knees, IT bands and ankles.

If you run on streets, wear as much reflective and light colored gear as you can.  I understand that black clothing is “slenderizing,” but as a driver myself, I have a hard mew seeing runners in all black during “rush hour.”  If you can run during your lunch break, when the temperatures are higher and the lighting is better, try to do so.  It will keep your energy level high during the afternoon “doldrums,” and you won’t be so tired (or unmotivated) facing a workout after your commute home at the end of the day.  I tend to overdress in the winter with lots of layers, as I can always remove a light jacket, hat or open up some vents.  When there is snow on the ground, I like to wear high gators like mountain hikers wear.  It keeps snow and ice out of my running shoes and socks.  As long as my  extremities are warm (my hands, feet and head), then I can keep going for many miles.  But, as soon as I get wet and cold, I head for home,. hot soup and a bath.  Stay warm, run with friends, be safe and have fun this winter.

A month ago Sports Illustrated looked at concussions and their effects on professional athletes.  Instead of photos of swimsuit models or multimillionaire athletes, the popular sports magazine looked at a very serious subject, that of head trauma and permanent disability in the ranks of professional athletes.  The periodical looked at the hits no one is noticing, the “invisible” traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) and cumulative concussions, especially among professional football players. The SI article relates, “At the Veterans Administration hospital in Bedford, Mass.,  one of the world’s foremost experts on repetitive brain trauma slipped a slide into a microscope. Dr. Ann McKee, an associate professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University who has been studying the brains of deceased football players, wanted to illustrate the damage that repeated hits to the helmet can cause. This slide of a cross-section of a human male brain, magnified 100 times, showed scores, maybe hundreds, of tiny brownish triangular bits of a toxic protein called tau, choking off cellular life in the brain.”

“This is Louis Creekmur,” said McKee. “You can see there are hardly any areas untouched by the damage. Like with Wally Hilgenberg, it is widespread in Louis Creekmur. I would call it incredible chaos in the brain. Read the rest of this entry »

Runners warming up for the start of the Ashenfelter NJ 8km road race championship in Glen Ridge, New Jersey on Thanksgiving

The Ashenfelter 8K Classic (A8K) is a United States Track & Field-NJ Championship Road Race which is open to everyone… walkers, joggers, runners and racers. The race is produced by the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation. This traditional Thanksgiving Day running event will be held on Thursday, November 25, 2010.  The 8K (4.97 miles) USATF-NJ MASTERS 8K CHAMPIONSHIP has prize money awards (Age Graded, Male/Female, for USATFNJ Members Only).  There are special mugs for finishers in the Top 100, male and female.  Since 2000, the top 100 male time has dropped from 35:54 (7:13/mile) to 33:43 in 2005 (6:47/mile) to 32 minutes in 2008 (6:28/mile average pace) !  Doug Landau of the Herndon Law Firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. was still heading out when he saw the leader, sporting a Princeton Tiger singlet, heading for the finish line in under 25 minutes !  It’s a very competitive field.

To date, the Ashenfelter 8K Classic has raised over $100,000. Since 2005 the main beneficiary has been The Glen Ridge Educational Foundation, a not for profit 501(c)3 organization.  In addition, liek several other Thanksgiving time athletic event that Triathlon Trial Lawyer DOug Landau has participated in , this championship event was collecting used, smelly running shoes !  Joggers, walkers and runners could donate old or un-used athletic shoes to soles4souls.  Collection boxes were available at Fleet Feet Sports, Murdoch Shoes, and at the race Registration.

When a car turns and strikes a 50-year-old biker in Fairfax, it resonates with me, as I am now a half century and often ride on the County streets and trails of Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.  The Fairfax Times reported that Crash Reconstruction detectives are seeking witnesses to a crash that occurred on Sunday, November 14th near the intersection of Fort Hunt Road and Belle Haven Road. At around 3 p.m., a bicyclist was headed eastbound on Belle Haven Road.  At the same time, a four-door 2005 Toyota Corolla attempted to turn left onto Fort Hunt from westbound Belle Haven. The bicyclist and the car crashed and the cyclist, age 50, was thrown from his bike.  He was medevaced to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Detectives ask anyone who may have witnessed this crash to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS/8477, e-mail or text “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

It is not often that one sees the Federal Government recall of high end, expensive bicycles.  However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 370 bicycles due to an unsteady frame.  According to Giant Bicycle Inc., the 2011 model Giant Anthem bicycles can potentially crack at the seat post, posing a fall risk for riders. There have been no reports of injuries as of yet, the company said.
According to the PR Newswire. Giant Bicycle dealers sold these bikes to athletes nationwide during August 2010 for between $2,200 and $3,500.  If you or someone you know has one of these bikes, contact the PCSC at once and make sure not to ride this unsafe sports product.

Trampoline accidents and injuries can be catastrophic due to the impact and damage to the spinal cords and heads of victims young and old.  The issues of adequate spotters, padding and instruction are usually at the forefront of any investigation into a trampoline accident.  However, when the trampoline itself is defective, catastrophic injury can result regardless of the number of spotters, pads and training sessions.  Herndon Virginia sports injury lawyer Doug Landau of Abrams Landau, Ltd. examined the dangers of such equipment over 25 years ago in his article for the Practicing Law Institute, “…With the Greatest of Ease – Gymnastic Products Liability”  (Sports & Recreational Equipment, 1983).  One of the reasons Abrams Landau supports the distribution of free bicycle helmets for children is to put safe, non-defective sports equipment in play so no one gets hurt.

A California sporting goods company has recently announced a recall 160,000 sporting trampolines over the risk of the structures breaking.  Bravo Sports announced the recall in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission last week, saying “the trampolines, if improperly assembled, can result in weak support, posing the risk of the top rails or legs bending or breaking during normal use.”  The trampolines were imported from China Read the rest of this entry »

The Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg Virginia bike crashes remind us to "preview" triathlon and bicycle race courses for strategy AND safety

The cycling crashes during the summer’s triathlon in Spotsylvania remind us of the importance of participants’ “previewing” the course before a race. Putting on a running, cycling or triathlon race requires planning, manpower and money. Yet even the most thorough race committee cannot foresee every potential pitfall or weather pattern. In the Fredericksburg area race, rain had caused some sand to wash out onto the bike course. Several cyclists were caused to crash due to the combination of speed, sand and bike control. The injuries these bikers sustained by wiping out on the pavement were devastating.

One of the cyclists contacted us at ABRAMS LANDAU because the crash caused severe brain injury. However, racers are expected to be familiar with the course, and going out, for the first time, full tilt during a race, is problematic. In sports, participants Read the rest of this entry »