Landau Injury Law

Tall dogs, fuzzy dogs, dogs that fit into purses and all of them are called man’s best friend. Fortunately, that is true of most house dogs, but sometimes we are sadly reminded that dogs are animals and are not rational. For this reason insurance companies are charging higher rates to cover dogs or just not covering some breeds. The cost of coverage has gone up about 6.4 percent and dog incidents cover about 25% of home owner claims it is a substantial consideration for insurance companies. This is why many of them are not even covering certain breeds (rottweilers, dobermans, pittbulls, etc…) and dropping coverage on animals if they have any history of violence. One reason for the change in insurance practices is medical costs have risen and dog attacks can cause both physical and mental wounds which the victim should seek medical help them heal.

As stated by Doug Landau, an experienced attorney in canine attacks, In some car accidents, the injured plaintiff never sees the defendant trucker or hit and run motorist. But in dog attack cases, the innocent victim feels the teeth, claws and grabbing, sees the dog, hears the sounds of the attack, and can even smell and sometimes taste the dog’s saliva on her face. These are nightmarish experiences for anyone. The results the Landau Law Shop has had throughout the East Coast suggest that juries and judges take these harms and losses very seriously.

If you have questions regarding dog attacks please contact us at The Herndon Law Shop.

Hellish road construction took on a new meaning when a tragic and unusual accident occurred at a local construction site. A local construction worker from Woodbrdge was crushed by an asphalt roller and died as a result of the injuries. The accident ensued after the operator of the roller lost control and ran his coworker over. The police determined there was no foul play and gave the investigation to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. The VDLL will take 6 months to determine if any fines or citations would be prudent. The construction company expressed its shock and sadness and have a full internal investigation going on as well.

If you have questions about workmans comp, roadwork or construction incidents please contact us at Landau Law Shop. We are also on Facebook now and would welcome your comments, suggestions and questions

Between gas prices being too high, cities funding bicycle lanes, and finding time to exercise; commuting via bicycle is looking better everyday.  Unfortunately for the fashionistas out there something which looks good doesn’t always “look”.  Many would-be cyclist are shying away from the idea because of hat-hair concerns or helmets clashing with outfits.  Now they can have another option which would give them the best of both “looks”.  Hövding, a Swedish company, has created a airbag helmet which is wore in a stylish collar.  The collar can detect an accident and will deploy a helmet shaped airbag.  The sensors are also smart enough to know the difference between a crash and everyday movement.  Though the most important feature is the removable shell which can come in an endless array of colors and patterns to match any outfit.  To check out the Hövding is action check out this test video.

If you would like to know more about helmet safety or the next event Herndon Law Shop will be at checking helmets contact us on our Facebook page.  If you have any legal question please fill out our contact form and we will respond promptly.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was created in 1972 with the purpose of protecting those in the USA “against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products.”  So it is sad to see Perfect Fitness try to hide a defective product for years from the CPSC, which could have created a more streamlined solution for customers.
In August Perfect Fitness was required to pay a civil penalty of $425,000.  The fine comes from their product Perfect Pullup, where in June 2008 the company discovered there was a defect in the handles.  In July 2008 they did issue a redesign to fix the problem but did not inform the CPSC.  The company waited until December 2010 at which point it was too late to claim ignorance and the CPSC was forced to take action.

If you have a legal question please contact us at The Herndon Law Shop.  If you don’t have a legal question and you want to ask a simple question or comment on something you seen from us check out our new Facebook page.

Bridgeway International has voluntarily recalled its product “NEXT”-branded men’s 26-inch hybrid bicycles, a hybrid bicycle. The recall is voluntary and will effect about 91,000 bicycles.  If you own one of these bikes or think you do please STOP USE IMMEDIATELY to confirm and then contact the company for a free repair.  The defect is in the chain of the bike and it could break without warning resulting in injury.  There have been 11 incidents, 9 of which ended in injury.  These bikes where sold from Walmart between February and July of this year.

If you have a legal question please contact us at Landau Law Shop.  If you don’t have a legal question and you want to ask a simple question or comment on something you seen from us check out our new Facebook page.

Motor-cross is a muddy hobby with some really cool safety gear.  Air-brushed helmets and matching styled boots and suit look great and keep you safe, but the less glamorous side is making sure your bike is running at peak performance.  Besides going to the mechanic making sure to stay up to date on equipment news is just as important.  Such as, on September 8th a voluntary recall was announced by KTM North America for some of its’ off-road sport bikes. Approximately 6,117 units are effected and if you suspect you are an owner of a defective unit discontinue use and check the US. Consumer Product Safety Commissions’ Report to verify.  The defect is in the piece which secures the handlebars to the bike.  Cracks can develop from regular use resulting in the handlebars slipping which can cause the rider to loose control.

For more information you can read this article by NPR.  If you have any legal question concerning recalls or bike injuries please respond to this post or contact us at The Herndon Law Shop or (703) 796-9555.

Weehoo iGo Bicycle Pedal Trailers

On September 13 Weehoo announced a recall of one of its products, an attachable children’s seat for a bicycle called the “Weehoo iGo Bicycle Pedal Trailers”.  Fortunately, there have been no major injures and any owner of the product can contact the manufacture (800-538-6950 or Weehoo’s Website)for the repair piece, but please discontinue use immediately.  Also, report any injuries sustained if you have experienced a failure in the product as described in the recall report.  This decision was voluntarily made by the company after it was discovered that one of the connecting pieces could crack and break from the bicycle which could result in harm to the child.

For more information regarding this recall please consult the following article.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding injures of any kind and would like legal advice please don’t hesitate to contact us at The Herndon Law Shop or call at 703-796-9555

Every year we hear the sad news of a teenager being killed or badly injured in a car crash by news-reporters citing studies showing how such a tragedy could be prevented followed by over embellished shallow sympathies.  Clearly this is not the best approach as more thought should be put in before a crash, not after. This is why S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and Liberty Mutual are looking into the real reasons teens are having crashes and what can be done.

One of the main issues with teen driving is the teens do not think they are to blame.  “According to a study, 68 percent of teens admit to having narrowly avoided a crash”, but it was also found that the driver blamed just about every other factor except themselves.  Teens admitted to using a cellphone for either texting or talking a little above 30% of the time but 92% of teens still think they are safe drivers.  There is another conundrum facing adults trying to teach safe driving. Teens are not changing their driving habits for more than a month after a narrow miss, but many remain causes long after an actual crash.  Seeing as having all teens experience a crash is clearly a bad idea, but how do you teach them the same lesson of how dangerous are car can be.

We would love to hear was you think about the subject by responding to this post.  Also, if you know of any driver which has been involved in a car collision feel free to contact us at The Herndon Law Shop or call us at 703-796-9555

With back to school comes varsity sports and all the late night practices, close friendships, and sadly injuries.  Concussions occur too often each year and are a potentially dangerous injury.  Concussions occur when a person is stuck on the head and the brain on the opposite side bruises from the impact with the skull. While concussions are rarely a devastating injury after one occurrence, multiple occurrences of this injury can have an accumulative adverse affect.  This is why on July 1, 2011 Virginia passed a law where any student which sustains a concussion is benched until they receive medical clearance from a medical professional or athletic trainer. For more details check out the Student-Athlete Protection Act which focuses on minimizing further damage from a concussion which could effect them later in life.

Fortunately, the community has also identified how devastating concussions can be are are spreading awareness and implementing precautions.  For example, some schools are utilizing a computer program which can identify concussions faster and more accurately.  In addition, Dick’s Sport Goods has created PACE (Protecting Athletes through Concussion Education) a program designed to spread information about concussions with the support of famous athletes like Doug Flutie and Jerome Bettis. The AAN (American Academy of Neurology) has put together a website toolkit for parents and students to prevent and recognize concussions. While concussion are a serious matter it is good to know that both the legal and local communities are taking strong steps to keep student sports fun but also safe.

As the medical profession continues to learn more about the adverse long term effect of concussions, it is important to be safe instead of sorry.  If you or your child has sustained a head trauma please  get it examined by a medical professional. If you think you need legal advice concerning a concussion or other wrongfully acquired injury please contact us at the Herndon Law Shop at 703-796-9555 or email us.

Crossing the street should not feel like playing a game of Frogger, but to some pedestrians that is exactly what it has turned into and often with tragic results.  The city of Chicago is tired of its citizens getting injured or killed while trying to cross the street. As a result the city has started a new plan to help out those on foot.

With 40% of the pedestrian fatalities being hit-and-runs, 50% higher than the national average, the city is looking to not only prevent but install surveillance so the offending drivers will be held accountable. Other possible improvements include countdown timers, curb bump outs, and pedestrian friendly medians.  Chicago has also started using the “leading pedestrian internal signal timings”,  which allows walkers to have an additional four seconds before the traffic light turns green.  The system was designed to allow walkers to get clear of the right side of the road before cars which were turning started.

If you are in a situation where your have sustained injury and would like assistance with a legal claim, please call our Herndon Virginia Law Shop today at 703-796-9555 or e-mail us.

Source: Chicago Tribune, Monday, June 20, 2011