Landau Injury Law

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.

Just as in dating, sometimes the date you start with is not the one you end up with !

Herndon Social Security lawyer Doug Landau (shown in front of the Washington DC hearing Office) & his clients will "amend the onset date" of their disability in order to secure a favorable decision from an ALJ (Administrative Law Judge)

Unrepresented Social Security Disability claimants often pick a “date of onset” for their disability on their original applications that lead to denial after denial by the Federal Government.  While a disabled workers may have stopped working on a particular day due to an on the job injury or occupational disease, that date may not be supported by the objective medical evidence.  Just because a wage earner stops working on “date X,” does not mean that the Social Security Administration will find that they should receive Disability Income benefits from that date.  The rules for getting Federal Disability benefits are quite strict.

At the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, we see Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William families who have been denied Social Security despite what appear to be debilitating injuries.  Sometimes the medical conditions that disable our clients from working become totaling disabling months and even years after they stop working.  In these cases, when we get the case before an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”), our investigation (more…)

To help injured employees and their families, experienced Virginia workers comp lawyers meet regularly to discuss recent cases, compare trial strategy and learn the latest advances in medical care for those disabled after on the job accidents.  Meetings with Virginia Workers Compensation Commission judges and lawyers from all over the Commonwealth further the exchange of ideas and suggestions for improving conditions for injured claimants. (more…)

Herndon Virginia workers comp lawyer Doug Landau shares consumer group concern over the proposed Medco and Express Scripts merger, as the new giant pharmacy benefits manager could restrict the access to new drugs and give even more control to Virginia workers compensation insurance companies over injured workers and their families

If a proposed merger between Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and Express Scripts takes place, consumer groups fear that patients’ choices would be restricted and costs of medicine would be increased.  The proposed merger of two of the three largest pharmacy-benefit managers (“PBMs”) is the subject of a U.S. House antitrust subcommittee hearing. The hearing will examine the merger’s likely effect on PBM competition and health-care costs.  Five consumer-advocacy groups sent a joint letter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.  The consumer groups are: Consumers Union—the publisher of Consumer Reports—as well as Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League, U.S. Public Interest Research Groups and the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices.

The groups want the government to examine the merger’s likely effect on PBM competition and health-care costs according to the Wall Street Journal.  A combined Express Scripts-Medco would “substantially” reduce competition, giving the merged company an “incredible dominance” of the fast-growing specialty pharmacy market, according to the letter.  A merger could also (more…)

Another successful Social Security Disability Hearing for a happy family in Washington, D.C. Herndon Virginia disability lawyer Doug Landau "holding the bag" for his client after presenting this Texan's case to the Federal Government's Administrative Law Judge this month

The Social Security Administration has released the new numbers for 2012. The Federal Government’s disability program has increased the amounts necessary for work determinations, the payments for Supplemental Income and the maximum taxable earnings. Earnings of less than $12,120 per year may not be viewed as “substantial” such that a wage earner would be deemed ineligible for monthly Federal disability payments.

Of significance to the Reston Herndon Social Security Disability law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, was the the amount necessary for “Substantial Gainful Activity” (or “SGA”). SGA is essentially work for pay, as opposed to interest earned on a bank account, lottery winnings, investments, sheltered workshop pay or stock or other investment income. SGA has been increased to $1010/month, up from $1,000 in 2011. (more…)

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).

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

Clients suffering from hip, shoulder, knee and arthritis pain should try to learn as much as possible about their condition in order to get as healthy as possible after an on the job accident or car crash.  You can ask the joint replacement experts of the INOVA Joint Replacement Center (“IJRC”) about relief from arthritis, repair of damaged bones and painful inactivity.  Surgical joint replacement, with minimally invasive techniques may be the solution to your disability, pain and osteoarthritis.  IJRC is the largest joint replacement center in the metro-Washington DC area, performing over 2,000 joint replacements annually.  With the latest techniques and medical equipment, patients are returning to more active lifestyles.  Herndon joint injury lawyer Doug Landau has attended past programs, along with ABRAMS LANDAU staff, and new insights are always gained and tough questions are always answered.  While knee, hip and shoulder joint replacement surgery is not for everyone, workers compensation and disability lawyer Landau has seen friends, family members and clients make wonderful recoveries as the result of such operations.

A FREE Community Seminar on Osteoarthritis and Joint Replacement Advances will be held with Drs. Kevin Fricka and William Hamilton:

• Date:     Wednesday, April 13, 2011
• Time:     7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Address: Workhouse Arts Center, 9601 Ox Road, Lorton, VA 22079
• Contact Phone:     (855) 694-6682
• Free parking available in the rear of the building.

Inova Health System is pleased to present our “Ask the Expert” community lecture series. All lectures are free, but advance registration is requested.  Register online or call 855-MY-INOVA (855-694-6682).

Saw injuries can be devastating, permanent and disabling.  For those who use circular saws, table saws, mitre saws and other dangerous power tools, the Power Tool Institute (“PTI”) has safety presentations that can be viewed online – click here. The safety demonstrations, available, at no charge, in English or Spanish, are:

• “Power Tool Accidents — They Can Be Prevented,”
• “Circular Saw Safety,”
• “Table Saw Safety” and
• “Miter Saw Safety”

Click here for the PTI video site.

Having seen countless finger amputation cases, grocery store hand and digit lacerations and workplace degloving injuries, workers comp and disability lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU hopes that these saw safety films will help prevent future power tool injuries at work and at home. Small companies might want to make use of these workplace safety videos in order to reduce worker injury and time loss. According to the staff at the Landau Law Shop, newer workers especially seem to encounter a greater number of permanent injuries during their first weeks on the job. Showing safety films such as those produced by the Power Tool Institute may help rookie employees in the construction and crafts trades avoid unnecessary and foreseeable injury

With the price of gasoline, parking and tolls rising and injured workers and their families traveling to doctors, physical therapy and testing appointments, there is a significant cost to just getting to and from health care facilities.   However, there are solutions to these expenses according to the workplace injury team at the Landau Law Shop. “I am going broke going to the doctors, physical therapy and the testing center !”  “I spent over a thousand dollars in tolls, parking and gas; doesn’t that count for anything ?”  “My wife’s car is falling apart and we cannot afford to fix it up to take me to my appointments safely !”

Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU has heard all of these statements.  However, there are solutions.  Landau points out that there is a mileage reimbursement rate for Virginia Workers Compensation claimants, set forth below, that reimburses injured workers and their families for travel associated with their medical care.

YEAR        Reimbursement rate per mile
2010            $.505
2009            $.505
2005            $.27 eff 10/1 $.325

Not every injured worker is transported by cab, ambulance or limousine paid for by the workers comp insurer.  Most injured workers get around by car or public transportation.  The insurance company can be ordered to pay for (more…)