Landau Injury Law

While 95% of the ABRAMS LANDAU law firm is devoted to representing injured victims in their injury, workers compensation and Social Security Disability cases, Herndon Reston trial lawyer Doug Landau has been successful in defending and helping small companies, doctors, medical practices, and individuals whose insurance companies have left them “high and dry.”

In a recent in jury case where a workers cut a finger in a saw accident, a small Sterling Virginia area employer came to ABRAMS LANDAU because it did not have workers compensation insurance because it had less than 3 full time, regular employees.  The claimant alleged otherwise, and had the Loudoun County employer lost the case, they stood to lose many thousands of dollars and face fines and other penalties from the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission.  Landau agreed to represent this employer on an hourly basis, with an advance Retainer (more…)

Mold and sick building claims require substantial time and expense.  Firms with which we have worked invest heavily in building mold claims.  We have seen first-hand that they are very complicated and difficult to prosecute successfully. They almost always require multiple scientific and medical experts to establish what kind of mold you’re dealing with, causation and the extent of any injury (with inevitable wide disparity in the opinions of knowledgeable experts). There are very few generally accepted, objective criteria by which even honest experts can evaluate claims and almost every day sees another scientific paper published either supporting or denying the possibility of serious permanent injury from exposure to mold.

Basically, a victim with pretty severe symptoms (typically, someone with a pre-existing, compromised immune system or hypersensitivity to mold) who has been exposed to a large quantity of “bad mold” (like stachybotros) over a sufficiently long period of time that they have suffered some type(s) of permanent injury (i.e., it won’t get better simply by eradicating the mold or removing the victim from the moldy environment) may have a chance of getting fair restitution and payment for what has been taken from them and their families.  If you or your family or friends have questions about mold or sick building illness, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).

David Carson, moderator Deborah Waters & Doug Landau at the Annual VTLA Tort Law Seminar after the presentation on creative personal injury settlement packages and professional demand letters in Roanoke

Teaming up with another outstanding defense attorney enabled Herndon and South Riding area injury lawyer Doug Landau to show lawyers from South West Virginia how to maximize recovery for their disabled clients.  Roanoke defense lawyer David Carson of Johnson, Ayers & Matthews the view from the insurance company perspective in a “Point Counterpoint” presentation.  The Roanoke audience at this year’s Annual Tort Law Seminar heard from outstanding VTLA speakers as well as judges. Landau and Carson discussed personal injury settlement demand packages.

The two experienced Virginia trial lawyers gave their views and fielded questions from the audience, made up largely of attorneys who had been practicing for many  years.  Carson discussed some of the mistakes made by by lawyers who hold themselves out as being “personal injury lawyers,” but who do not actually try cases, invest properly in their disabled clients’ cases or even go to court.  Doug Landau showed effective ways of proving losses as the result of car crashes, dog attacks, bike accidents and slip and fall incidents.  If you would like to see Mr. Landau “in action,” please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555), as his calendar is an “open book” for trials, speeches, races and meetings.

Car & truck crash injury lawyer Doug Landau hopes that soon police will be able to recover "black box" data that can prove which vehicle was at fault in a wreck

It appears that in the next few years, cars will be equipped with black boxes, much like in airplanes, that can record data during a crash. The debate now, between Congress and safety groups, is how much and what type of data these boxes should record.  Lawmakers and automakers are struggling to agree on how durable the boxes should be as well, with car makers balking at the idea of an expensive piece of equipment being required in all vehicles.  One proposal suggests that the boxes be able to withstand a rollover crash as well as fire and water immersion, and record 60 second before a crash and 15 seconds after.  For more on this interesting debate, go to The Washington Post

If you or someone you know has been injured due to the fault of a driver whose vehicle may have been equipped with a “Black Box,” please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555), as these devices are sometimes removed by guilty defendants or destroyed when wrecks are salvaged for scrap.

Virginia Trial Lawyers Daniel Crandall & Douglas Landau taught at the Roanoke Higher Education Center today

As a member of the faculty of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Tort Law Seminar Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau will travel the length and breadth of the Commonwealth this month.  Today’s presentation took the traveling trial lawyer to the Roanoke Higher Education Center in the South West part of the state.  Since he had just returned from his son’s Virginia Tech graduation in Blacksburg over the weekend, Landau flew into the former Vinton Salem area airport as he had done so many times before to try workers compensation and meet with personal injury and Social Security Disability clients.  Because the lecturers got ahead of schedule (a rarity when lawyers are giving speeches !), the interstate injury lawyer started the presentation on demonstrative exhibits, trial strategy, settlement and mediation without his co-presenter from the defense bar.  Once Defense Counsel arrived, the duo it full stride and kept the audience intrigued, followed by a “Question and Answer” period.

Landau was followed by his friend and well-known Roanoke Valley trial lawyer Daniel L. Crandall, who gave a thorough Power Point presentation on “General District Court Practice.”  Landau and Crandall shared other ideas after the Continuing Legal Education programs was finished and before the Herndon Reston area injury lawyer had to fly back to Dulles Airport. If you would like to see Mr. Landau “in action,” please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555), as his calendar is an “open book” for trials, speeches, races and meetings.

Doug Landau and his assistants know that it can take a very long time for a Social Security Disability case

Social Security Disability lawyer Doug Landau is often asked, “How long will it take for my disability case to get to court ?”  In prior posts this week the Herndon, Franklin Farms and Reston area lawyer examined denial and allowance rates as well as the number of claims heard by area Social Security offices.  The “National Ranking Report” published in the Social Security Forum this spring shows the processing times for offices throughout the United States for the month ending in March of 2010:

Rank    Hearing            Processing Time

1        Middlesboro        252 days
16        Charlottesville    336
25        Richmond        354
77        Baltimore        444
80        Greensboro        453
90        Tampa            463
118        Newark            514
135        Miami            556
139        Charleston        568
144        Anchorage, AK    642

If you or someone you know is permanently disabled, please e-mail or call us at (703-796-9555)  there is also additional information at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd.

Herndon and Loudoun disability lawyer Doug Landau is often asked, “How many cases does Social Security actually approve at the first 2 levels before I have to go before an Administrative Law Judge ?”  “What are the National, Regional and Middle Atlantic States’ averages ?”  “Doesn’t the Federal Government just deny every case ?” “Must you have a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury in order to win a Social Security case ?”

The Virginia disability lawyer notes that not every single claim is denied by the Federal Government at the initial and reconsideration levels.  While it is true that most claims are denied at the initial level, and the percentage of claims allowed at the reconsideration level is only about 14% nationally, there are a number of claimants who receive benefits at these levels.  According to the “Social Security Forum,” the Social Security Disability & Supplemental Security Income (”SSI”) Disability Claims Allowance Rates for the fiscal year 2009 for our area were as follows:

Initial Level        Reconsideration Level

• NATION                36.9%        13.8%
• REGION (Philadelphia)     36.4        13.9
• STATE:
• Delaware            42.9        10.1
• Washington, D.C.        40.5        17.0
• Maryland            38.7        18.9
• Pennsylvania            35.3
• Virginia                40.4        14.3
• West Virginia            26.4        8.2

It has become apparent to the ABRAMS LANDAU disability team that a claimant’s best chance of getting their full Federal Disability Income benefits is at the Administrative Law Judge (”ALJ”) level.   That is why it is important to get an experienced Social Security lawyer involved EARLY in the process.  Federal Disability forms filled out late or incorrectly can be fatal to a case.  If you or someone you know is permanently disabled, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555)

VTLA President Matthew Murray, shown with Melissa, praised Doug Landau's 7 year fight on behalf of a Virginia client with an occupational disease and winning the disabled worker's Florida Social Security Disability case

In the Spring Social Security Forum, the number of Hearings held by Social Security Hearing Office for some of the sites ABRAMS LANDAU has won cases for disabled clients and their families were published.  These Administrative Law Judge (”ALJ”) Hearing numbers are for not quite one month, and one with a lot of weather delays.  This enormous volume is one of the reasons for the long waiting time to come before the Federal Judges who decide these important cases for Herndon and Ashburn Farms disability lawyer Doug Landau.  The numbers of cases heard for the fiscal year (through 1/29/2010) were as follows:

• Baltimore, MD        1476
• Charlotte, NC        1732
• Charlottesville, VA    1133
• Fort Lauderdale, FL     2022
• Miami, FL        906
• Richmond, VA        892
• Roanoke, VA        1031
• Washington, DC        873

At the Landau Law Shop, the “How ?” “How Long ?” and “How Much ?” questions are answered so that disability income applicants can understand the process and be prepared for their “day in court.”  If you or someone you know is permanently disabled, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555)

Doug Landau will use the professional medical illustrations prepared by MediVisuals in all four of his May Virginia Trial Lawyers Association presentations

Speaking on how to quickly and effectively settle, mediate and arbitrate personal injury and wrongful death cases, Doug Landau actually brought a dozen exhibits from cases that the ABRAMS LANDAU trial team has won.  By showing lawyers in Richmond what kinds of real evidence and demonstrative aids work in the court room, Herndon, Broadlands and Ashburn area injury lawyer hoped to assist them in getting better results for the victims of accidents and their families.  ”You have to invest time AND money in your exhibits and trial preparation if you want to get good results for your disabled clients” Landau told the nearly sold out audience, “You cannot do serious personal injury cases on the cheap.  You must spend the money on professional MediVisuals medical illustrations, enlargements, transcripts and investigation.”

The Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (”VTLA“) followed Landau’s speech and demonstrations with “Use of Technology: High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech A Panel of Local Judges will discuss Admission of Exhibits.” The panel of judges will change at each location, and will consist of:

• May 4, 2010 – Richmond: Hannah Lauck, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District, Richmond Margaret Spencer, Richmond Circuit Court Theodore Markow, Richmond Circuit Court
• May 18, 2010 – Roanoke: Waugh Crigler, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Western District, Charlottesville Charles Dorsey, Roanoke City Circuit Court James Swanson, Roanoke County Circuit Court
• May 25, 2010 – Norfolk: Jerrauld Jones, Norfolk Circuit Court Stephen Mahan, Virginia Beach Circuit Court, Bradford Stillman, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Eastern District, Norfolk
• May 27, 2010 – Fairfax: Thomas Horne, Loudoun Circuit Court Dennis Smith, Fairfax Circuit Court Anthony Trenga, Eastern District, U.S. District Court, Alexandria

Richmond Virginia defense lawyer and Mediator Michael Harmon & Herndon Reston area plaintiff's personal injury lawyer Doug Landau after their CLE presentation today

Everyone who knows Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau knows he likes to talk !  After success at the American Association for Justice meeting of the National Trial Lawyers in February and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention in March, Landau is “taking it out on the road,” by teaching and giving presentations in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Fairfax during the month of May.  The lawyers who pay hundreds of dollars to attend these Continuing Legal Education programs, get required legal education and ethics credits and learn the latest development in the laws and personal injury trial practice.  The written materials that went with Landau’s speech were made available electronically, just as was the case at the National Trial Lawyers meeting this winter.

The ABRAMS LANDAU injury lawyer’s presentations will enable participants to hear from plaintiff and defense attorneys on

1. Creative, professional demand packages
2. Settlement conferences/mediation/arbitration
3. High/low agreements
4. Tips for low cost use of technology in demand and settlement
5. When high tech is worth the cost

While Douglas Landau, of Abrams Landau Ltd., Herndon, will be speaking at all four locations, as he has actually tried cases in all corners of the Commonwealth of Virginia, he is paired with a different experienced defense lawyer at each venue.  The top defense attorneys Landau has been teamed with include:

• Michael Harman of Harman, Claytor, Corrigan & Wellman, Richmond (Richmond)
• David Carson of Johnson, Ayers & Matthews, Roanoke (Roanoke),
• Robert Rigney of Protogyrou & Rigney, Norfolk (Norfolk),
• Stephen Crum of Robey Teumer & Drash, (Nationwide Staff Counsel, Fairfax/Northern Virginia).

All clients know that they can call the Landau Law Shop to find out when and where Doug Landau will next be trying cases, speaking, taking depositions, teaching or racing.  This “open book” policy has enabled many ABRAMS LANDAU clients and their friends and families to meet with Doug Landau “close to home” and members of the Law Shop Trial Team without having to travel to the Herndon Reston area, or battle the infamous “Beltway.”