The Athlete's Lawyer

Tennis player lawyer Doug Landau hits the courts and has "raised a racket" to advocate for his injured clients

Having represented injured athletes throughout the Virginia, Maryland and Metropolitan DC region, sports injury lawyer Doug Landau has seen stoic sportsmen and sportswomen under-report their injuries and limitations to their treating doctors.  Unfortunately, “putting on a brave face” to the health care providers may lead to an inaccurate medical history and a discounting of the negligence, product or premises liability case by the Defendants’ insurance companies.  In bike crash, dog bite, swimming pool and jogger injury cases, the insurance adjusters and nurses carefully scrutinize the initial Emergency Room medical records and histories in order to deny, delay and discount otherwise strong liability personal injury claims.

While my grandfather Landau taught me to have a “stiff upper lip,” doing so in the context of medical care can lead to medical records that are not helpful to the physicians or the injured athlete’s legal counsel.  So, sports injury lawyer Landau suggests that athletes “raise a racket”and fully and completely advise ALL health providers of their pain, limitations and difficulties.  If you, or an athlete you know, has been injured in a bike and car crash accident, attacked by dogs or disabled due to defective sports products, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU (703-796-9555)

Always up for a challenge, sports injury lawyer Doug Landau joined HPC‘s youth team for an indoor CompuTrainer session at their new Herndon, Virginia location. While the experienced Triathlon TrialLawyer often trains indoors on LifeCycles, trackstands, Spin Bikes and other stationary bicycles, the computerized class was a new experience.

The CompuTrainer tracks not only speed and distance, but also watts, gears, and can project just about any race course in the world. Some athletes train indoors on the courses they will race during the season this way. The Ironman World Championship course, as well as the Eagleman Blackwater and Columbia triathlon courses are also available. During my introductory class, I raced against the teenagers behind me as well as Lance Armstrong and the other nearly life sized Tour de France bike racers projected on the wall in front of me.

Pierre (shown at left during the build out) checked on our form, gadgets and Elizabeth called out instructions and set the training goals. Needless to say, this “Supe Lawyer,” felt like quite the mortal after the 90 munite session. I look forward to participating in future classes, as this was more challenging than the spin cycle classes I have taken, as it is nearly twice the riding time and you get feedback with objective measurements so that you can see if you are improving, getting stronger, faster, smoother and fitter.

Doug Landau works hard at being the best lawyer for his injured clients and the best Master triathlete

While preparing for several Fall trials in Virginia, New Jersey and Florida, Doug Landau was also finishing up his multi-sport season after strong finishes in several local sprint triathlons. Imagine the TriathlonTrialLawyer’s surprise when he was notified that he was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers, which is based entirely on peer review. According to the Best Lawyers website:

“For 25 years, the top lawyers in the U.S. have helped make The Best Lawyers In America the leading legal referral guide by candidly evaluating the work of other top lawyers in the same specialties and geographic areas. In large legal communities (such as New York City and Washington, D.C.), lawyers are asked Read the rest of this entry »

Doug Landau and new friend at Smith Mountain Lake "Big Lick" Triathlon registration

For the 3rd time in his multi-sport career, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau will compete in the Big Lick Triathlon at Smith Mountain Lake Park. This pristine man-made lake is one of the loveliest venues in the Virginia Triathlon Series (“VTS“). The last international distance triathlon of the year in the VTS this race always attracts a huge collegiate crowd and is a great time to spend some time in the western part of our state. This event is the official VTS Collegiate Championship, so the field is skewed toward Read the rest of this entry »

Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau and 6 time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott

Even an experienced cyclist like Six time Ironman world champion Dave Scott can get struck by car while cycling.  While riding in his home town of Boulder, Colorado, Ironman Champion Dave Scott was hit by a car while on a training ride.  Witness at the scene of the accident report that Scott was conscious and talking after being struck, and that it looked to them like the car accident had potentially broken Scott’s collar bone or separated his shoulder with other multiple cuts on his legs and arms.  News reports indicate that the bike crash took place as he was riding down a hill and a car suddenly made a U-turn in his path.  The motorist was from out of town and was looking at real estate signs.

According to a biker who came on the scene shortly after the crash, the champion triathlete put two massive dents in the driver’s side door. he was taken to the hospital.  Witnesses at the scene also report that Scott was well taken care of by both emergency services and fellow cyclist.  Since 1999, Dave has served as head triathlon coach for Team In Training.  I have met and spoken to Scott at the Columbia and DC Nations Triathlons.  He is personable, with a ready sense of humor and an athlete who lives what he preaches.  I hope that he has a full and complete recovery from this bike crash.

Doug Landau and fellow Virginia trial lawyer and Reston triathlete Rob Somers, celebrating after the finish of the South Riding Sprint Triathlon

Team Tri Performance put on another wonderful race this summer, and credit goes to Coach Brian Crow and his volunteers. Doug Landau had a “hot date” later that day, so he was putting the “pedal to the metal” at the South Riding sprint triathlon.

The race started with a 400 meter snake swim. The competitors next had to bike 12 miles in and around South Riding. The run was a fast out and back course through the streets and trails in South Riding. The Loudoun and Prince William injury lawyer had a good day. After a 7:42 swim & run to the bike (38th out of 300), Landau had a 33 second transition, the second fastest of the day ! The TriathlonTrialLawyer’s 32:20 bike split was good enough for 11th at 22.3 MPH. Another speedy transition in under a minute (43 seconds to get off the bike and into his running shoes, the 9th fastest of the day) put Landau into position to run down the swimmers who had 2 minutes or more on him out of the pool. Averaging 6:37 per mile, Landau ran a 20:31 5km., the 7th fastest overall, and was only passed by one person once on “dry land,” a relay competitor whom the South Riding injury lawyer had trained with several years ago. Final time was 1:01:47, good enough for 8th overall, and first of the 19 finishers in his age group. Full results can be found at the Team TPR Shutterfly site.

A woman who biked, hiked and climbed in China, Europe and throughout the United States sued IKEA after 350 pounds of countertops fell and crushed her pelvis. Doug Landau reports that this 36-year-old Arlington woman’s case was heard nearly 3 years after she was injured. The hiker, biker and climber has had a metal plates surgically placed in her pelvis. The trial lasted 3 days, with deliberations by the Fairfax County Circuit Court jury lasting about 3 hours according to plaintiffs lawyer and friend, Ed Weiner. The counter sections were only restrained by a bungee cord, according to the WJLA television report of the case. No one testified as to how much weight the bungee could hold. IKEA’s defense lawyer, Joseph Giordano, who ABRAMS LANDAU clients, career day students and family have seen in Court, did not return a call by the Washington Post for its coverage.

This case is important because it shows that consumer safety is important and the big box retail stores need to secure large merchandise and dangerous, tippable Read the rest of this entry »

In one case we handled in the Tidewater area, friends of mine were staying in a tourist hotel. On vacation near where I have participated in several “flat course” races, my 3 friends checked into two rooms before checking the rooms out beforehand. Because of the aging light and heat fixtures, one of my friends was struck by burning, molten plastic and metal while on the toilet. The heat lamp, which had been installed with the original construction of the hotel, had never been replaced. It broke and fell on my friend, causing his t-shirt to catch fire. Luckily, one of my other friends is an Emergency Room doctor. The E.R. physician head the screams and came immediately to our friend’s rescue. He put the burning victim into the tub, where they doused the flames.

Our innocent friend sustained painful first, second and third degree burns, primarily on his back, for which he underwent surgery. We brought a lawsuit for his burn injuries and successfully settled it without my injured friend having to go to trial. However, his case is a reminder to me, my family and my friends to check out hotel rooms before moving in and to make sure the accommodations are what we are paying for and what we have been promised.

ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. successfully represented a golf professional injured when the golf cart in which he was a passenger rolled over.  The number of people hurt in golf carts has more than doubled, researchers say. Part of the problem is that the carts are faster than they used to be. But they are also being used in ways they were not necessarily intended for and are carrying more and more people with the rising costs of gas and the spread of “cart friendly” retirement and other communities. Writing in the July issue of The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the researchers said that from 1990 to 2006, the injury rate had doubled. The lead author was Daniel S. Watson of Ohio State University and the findings were picked up in the July issue of the Insurance Journal.

Over the period studied, the researchers counted injuries in almost 150,000 people ages two months to 96 years. The study found that many of the injuries were caused by falls, which can occur at speeds as low as 11 miles per hour when the cart turns. It was pointed out that newer carts can hit 25 mph. They often lack safety equipment, according to a co-author of the study, Tracy J. Mehan, a researcher at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. For example, the majority of the carts in use do not have seat belts. A lack of front brakes makes the vehicles prone to fishtail, the study said. In addition to being injured by falling out, riders are hurt when the carts turn over, as was the case of our Virginia client, whose arm was fractured at a famous Maryland golf course. SEE http://theathleteslawyer.com/cases/pro-golfer-thrown-out-of-cart-at-maryland-national-and-breaks-arm/

Triathlon Trial lawyer Doug Landau has been racing for years in his signature “Team LandWare” gear. Starting with the 49th Annual Virginia Trial Lawyers Convention this past weekend, he dons TheAthletesLawyer and TriathlonTrialLawyer racing outfits. After a hiatus last year to be a volunteer at the running race and direct the tennis tournament, Landau was hoping to turn in a decent performance in 2008. Go to tomorrow’s post to see how this Reston Herndon Virginia area injury lawyer fared on the hilly, challenging Homestead course… Read the rest of this entry »