Landau Injury Law

Cutting corners in the ledgers books or on the interstate highways is never a smart strategy over the long hail.  Over the last several years, the popularity of dirt cheap bus rides to New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston have lead to the proliferation of discount interstate motor carriers.  However, these buses sometimes employ drivers who are reckless, fatigued, poorly trained, and who cannot communicate in English !  The bus industry says the problem is limited to a small number of rogue operators.  The interstate motor carrier industry also notes that what is needed is (more…)

Policing the Interstate highways from unsafe common carriers should be one of the priorities of the national law enforcement agencies.  When a bus company has a pattern of unsafe practices and a history of accidents, the Federal Government should protect the public and shut the transportation motor carrier down until the safety violations are corrected.  In yesterday’s post the recent SkyExpress bus crash in Virginia was noted, especially as reckless driving and driver fatigue were factors in the fatal bus accident.  The Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration investigated the company, finding that SkyExpress has been involved in several accidents and was cited for (more…)

A discount bus line was shut down for safety violations after a fatal Virginia crash.  SkyExpress, a discount bus service, was shut down by federal regulators after a crash in Virginia that killed four people and sent more than 50 others to hospitals.  As the DC area is a hub for many cut-rate bus services, news reports of the crash and the subsequent safety violation record of the transportation company gave cause to reconsider travel on this recently popular transit services.  Bus injury lawyer Doug Landau has seen passengers being loaded onto these common carriers at cheap express bus stops in Arlington Virginia, Bethesda Maryland and Washington, D.C. due to the DC Metro area’s proximity to Interstate 95.

A SkyExpress bus headed to New York City swerved off northbound Interstate 95 last month, hit an embankment and overturned about 30 miles north of Richmond, near Bowling Green.  According to the Washington Post, SkyExpress offers $30 bus trips between (more…)

Some insurance companies will deny, delay and defraud innocent victims through "frivolous defenses" in order to avoid their "Day in Court" such as here at the Arlington Virginia Circuit Court house

With all the advertising the insurance companies do complaining about “Lawsuit Abuse” and “Frivolous Lawsuits,” it is shocking to see how often insurance defense lawyers use frivolous defenses to waste the time and resources of the injured victims, the courts and the taxpayers who end up paying for these corporations strategy of “deny, delay and defraud.”

After a car crash, when recovering from your injuries, the last thing you need if for the negligent defendant’s insurance company to deny all or part of your claim and then for their lawyers to file frivolous defenses to your lawsuit.  When insurance companies and large corporations raise frivolous defenses to delay or deny the meritorious claims of injured victims, it is doubly harmful.  It slows down the judicial process and it denies reimbursement for someone who has been harmed by unsafe practices.   It takes time, effort and money to file a lawsuit in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  It is not (more…)

Herndon Virginia car crash lawyer Doug Landau recommends that you consult a lawyer BEFORE giving insurance adjusters, investigators or other non-law enforcement personnel any taped or written statements

The warning, “Anything you say, can be used against you in court…” seems forgotten by most people who call the Landau Law Shop after a car or bicycle crash. While assisting the police in their law enforcement duties is laudable, helping an insurance company gather statements that they can use to deny your claim seems counterproductive. In the days and weeks following an injury-producing car accident, you will likely be in frequent communication with your insurance company (more…)

Herndon lawyer Doug Landau during a Fredericksburg Virginia "pit stop" at a Route 3 Starbucks for a worker who was struck by a "distracted driver" in Fairfax County VA

The “Advanced Workers Compensation” meeting in Richmond was the reason for Virginia workers comp lawyer Doug Landau’s trip South on Friday, but in order to make his injured clients’ lives a little easier, he arranges to meet with them closer to home when possible.  Many clients find any kind of travel physically difficult because of their disability.  Because lawyer Landau travels up and down I-95, he is able to accommodate the needs of injured workers, their families and friends.  While his first choice is to meet at the “Landau Law Shop,” because it has all of the equipment, staff and technology the Herndon injury lawyer relies upon to successfully assist those who call upon ABRAMS LANDAU for help, he routinely meets clients at court, other law offices and even coffee shops, restaurants and sports venues !

In addition to meeting several injured workers on the way to the Virginia Capitol to participate with the best workers comp lawyers in the state, Landau also registered for the annual Richmond Marathon Weekend 8km. (5 mile) road race.  If you or someone you know or care for has been injured as the result of a car, truck, bicycle or motorcycle crash and there are questions about what laws apply, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) at once.  We can meet with you in our accessible buildings here in Herndon, or closer to you if you cannot travel.

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

Herndon bicycle police officers and bike safety lawyer Doug Landau preparing to give free Bell Sport cycling helmets to Hutchison Elementary School students

Yesterday, all sixth graders at Hutchison Elementary School learned about using their heads, protecting their brains and then received complimentary bicycle helmets. With the “hands on” help of Dr. Paul Aravich from Eastern Virginia Medical School, Fairfax County Police Officers, and bike safety lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm Abrams Landau, the students got rubber gloves and were encouraged to hold and touch real human brains, skulls and spinal cords.  The focus of the program was making good choices, including the choice to wear head protection when cycling, skate boarding, roller blading, long boarding, mountain biking and other wheeled sports.  According to the Virginia Department of Health, bicycle helmets, when worn properly, reduce the risk of a serious brain injury by almost 90%.  The Herndon school children were encouraged to wear a helmet when biking.  After the school assembly, a Bell Sports bike helmet was given to every child in the Hutchison Elementary School sixth grade.

Mr. Landau is known as “the Athletes Lawyer” because of his representation of many injured cyclists and other injured athletes.  Landau is a competitive triathlete, who is a three time winner of the Herndon Super Sprint Triathlon, a USAT Triathlon All American and World Championship qualifier.  Mr. Landau is sponsoring the event in cooperation with the Virginia Trial Lawyers Law Foundation and Mr. Henry Tragle, an outstanding local triathlete and father of 2, who was injured on his bike.  Fortunately Mr. Tragle’s brain was protected by his helmet.  Mr. Tragle won this year’s Reston Sprint and was runner up at last month’s Reston Triathlon.

Doug Landau hopes to visit other Reston, Herndon and Oak Hill Virginia area schools in order to protect other students and prevent disabling and fatal head injuries to these young cyclists.  If you or someone you know or care for would like Mr. Landau to come to their school to discuss bike safety and traumatic brain injury, please e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).

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.

With no referee in sight, cowardly DC, Virginia & Maryland truck & car drivers feel they can injure bikers with impunity

Road rage, rude drivers, people in a hurry in the DC metro area have exposed all of us to unsafe actions on local roads and Interstate Highways in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.  The helmet camera recording of a truck driver riding a biker off the road and then driving off should give everyone pause.  The actual crash video can be seen on YouTube (Caution: harsh language).

What the driver did was dangerous.  No one can seriously argue otherwise, since he saw the bicycle commuter, who was riding to the motorist’s left at a speed slower that the cars around him, in broad daylight, yelled at him and then pushed him over into the asphalt.  But Herndon bike injury lawyer Doug Landau also adds, “what the driver behind the wheel, and in the safety of his truck, demonstrated, is that he is not any an unsafe driver, but a coward as well. A truck is essentially a small tank.  Against a small tank, a bicycle has no chance in any impact at speed.  Any driver who uses his truck, car or motorcycle as a weapon, should lose their license to operate any motorized vehicle for a very long time.”   If you or someone you know or care for has been injured as the result of a bike crash (or “near miss”) with a truck, car or motorcycle and there are questions about what laws apply, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) at once, as Virginia, Maryland and DC have legal time limits for these cases.