Landau Injury Law

Sporting team jerseys, World Cup soccer fans are easy to spot at Herndon Virginia's Great Harvest Bakery !

Having coached soccer for the Chantilly Youth Association (”CYA”) for over 10 years, Herndon lawyer Doug Landau has become a soccer fan.  While Landau only learned to play the game at the end of high school, he has played in adult leagues, coached kids and watched his own kids play for their house, NCSL, WAGS, other travel and high school teams.  Landau has represented injured soccer players and been a tournament volunteer.

Having studied sports injuries and noting the violence inherent in American football and hockey, Landau appreciates the skills, finesse and lack of permanent injury and disability in “futbol.”  With the World Cup Soccer Championship in South Africa, ABRAMS LANDAU staff wore their team colors on a “Casual Friday.”  The Fairfax County injury lawyer ran into other soccer fans at Great Harvest Bakery who were also sporting their team jerseys.  The large screen televisions from the Worldgate Club to the new Irish Pub on Eldon Street were all playing the broadcasts, to the delight of the international clientele that makes our town so special.

The scene as I left Oakton Woods during this morning's Fairfax rush hour bike crash between Reston Parkway and the Fairfax County Parkway in Oak Hill, Virginia

Having seen and assisted at more car, truck and bike crashes than I can recount, I was nevertheless shaken this morning by the scene outside my neighborhood.  A biker had apparently been hit by a car and badly injured at West Ox Road and Ashburton in the Herndon – Oakton Woods area of Fairfax County, in Northern Virginia.  Emergency Medical responders and Fire and Rescue teams were dispatched quickly and several motorists had already stopped to render assistance to the fallen cyclist as he lay on the pavement between the two corners of Ashburton, across from Franklin Oaks Drive.

Before loading the injured cyclist into the ambulance, Fairfax County EMTs assess, secure and prepare to transport the injured biker this morning after an apparent crash at West Ox Road and Ashburton Avenue across from Franklin Oaks Drive

The EMTs and ambulance came to the scene of this rush hour bike crash and immediately set about to assess and then treat the injured athlete.  This car and bicycle crash occurred between Oak Farms Drive and the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100), about exits North of Fair Oaks Hospital.  The injured cyclist was being loaded onto a stretcher and had been placed in a neck brace to protect his neck from spinal cord damage as we were allowed to pass.  It brought home the fact that bike crashes can happen around the corner as well as far away on the trails, tours and race courses.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the injured cyclist and his family, and we hope that he gets appropriate medical care and recovers quickly.

If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a bike crash, car accident or sports injury, please contact us by e-mail at ABRAMS LANDAU or call (703)-796-9555.

Broadlands Sprint Triathlon participants before the start of the race

At the Broadlands Sprint Triathlon today in Loudoun County, some 270 multisport athletes took to the streets.  Leesburg, Fairfax and Prince William bike injury lawyer Doug Landau wanted to try this TriPerformance event to test his early summer fitness.  Landau also likes competing in safe events like this, where the directors and volunteers take great pains to avoid accidents, crashes and injury.  The pre-race meetings and course previews are especially appreciated by the seasoned “Triathlon Trial Lawyer.”  In the transition area he discussed strategy with Alexandria General District Court Judge Moore, not for trials, but for triathlons !

The Broadlands Sprint Triathlon started with a 400 meter pool swim, followed by a slightly shorter than the advertised 12 mile bike ride, and ended with a curvy 5km.  The Loudoun, Prince William and Fairfax County bike crash injury lawyer finished in the top 10, and was the first grand master, master and age group.  Today’s race raises funds for the Infinitive Foundation, which was established to support programs focused on health and enhancing family life. Proceeds from the Infinitive Race Series will support local and US Military families.

Herndon, Loudoun & Leesburg Virginia bike crash injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that even on recreational and public park bicycle paths, riders must be aware of the road surfaces, obstacles and potential dangers

After his bike accident with the steel expansion joints on the Lee Bridge in Richmond, Doug Landau noted with interest the recent case of a Connecticut woman who was injured when she struck a steel grate while cycling.  The Hartford Metropolitan District Commission(”MDC”) has been ordered by a Connecticut jury to pay $2.9 million to a woman cyclist who was injured in a bicycle accident in 2002.  According to the Hartford Courant, the jury ruled that the MDC had improperly placed a steel grate on a recreational path.  The woman was on her bike when she hit the steel grate, breaking four vertebrae in her neck.  The jury’s verdict represents reimbursement and restitution for what has been taken from this active athlete.  If you or someone you know has become permanently injured or disabled in a bike accident or car crash, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555)

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The Landaus rode on the W&D Trail to get to the Herndon "pit stop" on "Bike to Work Day," where the A-1 Cycling crew gave Mrs. Landau's bicycle a safety check

While Loudoun and Fairfax bike crash injury lawyer Doug Landau has participated for a number of years, this year’s “Bike to Work Day” was extra special.  This was Herndon’s first Bike to Work Day and a “pit stop” was located on the W&OD Trail by the Depot Museum and the Old City Hall !  The event supports and promotes bicycle commuting, safe biking and pollution-free “green” transportation alternatives.  Cindy Roeder, Director, Parks and Recreation Department was extremely pleased with the number of riders who stopped in to join us this morning. More than 8,700 riders registered in the DC metro area for this year’s event.  Over 200 bikers stopped in Herndon.

"Bike to Work Day" lead hundreds of cyclists to the downtown Herndon Depot, where A-1 Cycling and the Town of Herndon set up a "pit stop" complete with snacks, SWAG, mechanics and free information

The Town of Herndon and everyone at the Landau Law Shop thank A-1 Cycling bike shops in Herndon and Manassas for sponsoring our pit stop, as well as the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA) and Commuter Connections.  A-1 Cycling is located in the “Clocktower Shopping Center” South of ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. on Elden Street, just the other side of the Dulles Toll Road, at 2451-I3 Centreville Road, Herndon, VA 20171  (703) 793-0400.  Doug Landau often has his racing bike checked out and repaired by the friendly and experienced crew at A-1 in order to avoid crashes, injuries and “technical difficulties !”

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.

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 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

Sports injury lawyer Doug Landau before the start of today's National Duathlon Championships, and before he knew he'd have to run barefoot !

The National Duathlon Festival was held this weekend in Richmond.  The United States Age Group Championship would not only determine who are the best Duathletes in the country, but who would make the World Championship team representing the USA in Scotland in this popular “RUN BIKE RUN” format event.  Herndon, Reston and Oakton area trial lawyer Doug Landau has competed in these championships several times, and this year he came well-rested, trained and ready for almost anything.  Landau even brought a second set of wheels and a spare bike helmet, in case anyone forgot theirs or had a product failure right before the race.

In order to be as ready as possible, the Virginia sports injury lawyer even rode the run course on Friday in order to familiarize himself with the venue.  He then ran some of the course, marking it with chalk, the next day.  However, even the most thorough preparations cannot eliminate an unlucky event.  While the weather reports predicted thunderstorms, and it rained so heavily Saturday night that the Triathlon Trial Lawyer saw several bikers skid and crash on the wet pavement, he saw many more walking their bicycles back to the transition area because they had gotten flat tires on the bridge expansion joints.  Because of the cooler weather, the Richmond bridge joints had opened up and presented a tripping hazard for race volunteers who were walking on the bridge and an obstacle for biker racers going 25 mph.

The race consisted of a 5k (3.1 mile) run, followed by a 38k (23.6 mile) bike ride, and then another 5k run.  Landau was 75% through the bike course when he hit an bridge expansion joint and flatted out.  However, rather than walking home or quitting the race, the ABRAMS LANDAU litigator left his bike shoes on his bicycle, and ran the bike back across the bridge to the transition area, a distance of about 3 miles ! And he did this barefoot ! Apparently a “DNF” (Did Not Finish) was not an option for Landau, who has finished every one of the nearly 1,000 races he has started !

Once he got back in the transition area, he put on his racing shoes and ran a 21 minute 5k and finished in just under 2 hours.  How did he manage to run on the highway and bridge without shoes ? Landau strengthens and toughens his feet and ankles so as to avoid injury by training barefoot whenever he can on sand, grass and artificial turf.  The former USAT Triathlon All American won last year’s “Playa Del Rey Beach Sprint” race barefoot.  Noted Landau, “just as with our personal injury jury trials, Social Security hearings and workers comp disability cases, I want to be ready for anything !“

Sometimes the Federal Government interferes with an injured victim's ability to get fair compensation because of the Center for Medicare Services' delays responding to requests for lien ("IOU") information

The lawyers for injured victims have frequently reported that the Medicare Secondary Payer Act is riddled with inefficiency.  HR 4796, the Medicare Secondary Payer Enhancement Act would correct this problem by requiring the Center for Medicare Services (CMS) to respond to requests for their lien amount within 60 days.  A “lien” is like an “IOU,” it’s the legal term for how much some company or governmental agency claims you owe them because of a contract (like workers comp) or law (like Medicare).

What we have seen at ABRAMS LANDAU is the Federal Government notifying an injured person that they must pay back the government for  medical care paid for under the medicare Program from the proceeds of their car crash, dog bite or defective product case.  But then when we write to the government to find out how much they claim to be owed and for what services, it takes forever and a day.  Sometimes the Federal Government inadvertently wants to be paid back for medical care that is not related to the car crash or slip and fall accident.  Other times, there are court deadlines or trial looming, and the trial judge will not wait for the government’s numbers, which can ruin the chances for a fair compromise settlement.

This new bill would be self-funded by a $30 application fee.  In other words, this bill costs the taxpayers nothing, and it has the broad support of coalitions including the National Retail Federation and Allstate Insurance.  You can help move this important legislation towards passage by asking your Member of Congress to cosponsor HR 4796.  If you have questions about this legislation, please contact Sarah.Rooney@justice.org directly or call her at 202.965.3500