Landau Injury Law

This important concept explains both short and long term neurologic deficits in patients whose trauma did not produce either contusions, hemorrhages or lacerations sufficient to account for the deficits. Frequently, the latter lesions are minimal but the deficit is severe. Sometimes, notes Herndon Reston brain injury lawyer Doug Landau, there is a minimal laceration (cut) or not cut at all, but the neurological damage is significant. This is often harder on the innocent crash victim because they have no “Red Badge of Courage” to display to friends, family or their physicians to buttress their claims of disability, deficit and suffering. This, in turn can cause anxiety, depression and fear, especially in cases in the long and trying litigation process adds Landau.

How does Diffuse Axonal Injury occur ? What has happened is that rotational and other movements of the brain during trauma has resulted in injury to numerous axons in both cerebrum and brain stem. Brain injury trial attorney Doug Landau explains that this can happen as the result of a sharp, fast back-and-forth movement of the skull, or a rapid twisting of the head from an impact, or a high-velocity combination of (more…)

In keeping with the ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., “open date book” policy, here are events for which the Herndon Reston area injury lawyer has registered. Many clients have come to watch Doug Landau try a case. Here are dates so that you can also see him “tri” a race !

[Shown here is Doug Landau with a check. This was not from another successful case on behalf of a disabled, brain injured or bike crash client, but for a 10 mile race in upstate New York. While Landau does not “run for the money,” he has won valuable prizes all over the United States and abroad as an Age Group and Masters Amateur triathlete, road racer, track athlete and triathlete. As is his custom, the All American multisport athlete donated this check to a local school.

Doug Landau’s next race will be the nationally famous Columbia Triathlon at Centennial Lake, MD on Sunday, May 18th, 2008. This Olympic Distance triathlon may be TheAthletesLawyer’s longest race of the year. The last time he competed in this Columbia Triathlon Association event, he did so as a relay team, finishing in second place. As Doug Landau has not entered the Virginia Triathlon Series this year, he will be returning to races, such as this, that he has done in the past and will try new events as well.

Memorial Day will see him raising funds for the Sterling Fire Department (more…)

When an injured victim of a crash is brought into an emergency room, x-rays are often ordered. However, Herndon Reston area brain injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that while such diagnostic testing, while good for showing broken bones and fractures, does not show many kinds of brain injury. For example, a cyclist or motorist injured in a crash may have a subdural hematoma (sometimes spelled, “haematoma”) which may not show up in the Hospital immediately on a post-accident x-ray.
A Subdural Hematoma is a collection of blood that pools under the dura. Because x-rays do not “see” blood as easily as hard, boney structures, Doug Landau advises that these are sometimes missed. The dura is a relatively tough connective tissue (collagenous) membrane, about the thickness of parchment paper. It is firmly attached to the under surface of the skull, and in the spinal canal, it is separated from the bony structure (more…)

In an event that raises funds for the Special Olympics, put on by the wonderful “FinsWheels and Feet” crew, Doug Landau, the “TriathlonTrialLawyer,” began his 2008 Triathlon Season.

After several days of rain and cold weather, some participants were in wetsuits for the short outdoor pool swim !  The race began with a 250 meter serpentine swim. Passed repeatedly in the frigid pool, Landau managed a pedestrian 4:55.39 for 63rd. After his “pokey” swim, The Athletes Lawyer passed many of those who swam faster in the first transition in a blistering 00:41.70. Next, the racers biked 20km., completing 2 laps through the rolling Virginia Run Community located across the street from Bull Run Elementary School in Centreville, VA. Landau posted 33:38.9 for an average speed of 22.1 mph, for 10th best bike split. T-2 was on frozen feet and took 1:06.45. Running on what felt like stilts in 46 degree weather was difficult, but Landau managed 6:22 pace for the last 2 miles and a 20:30.45 5km. to post the 15th fastest run split in his Newton Racing flats.

With a total time of 1:00:52.8, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer was 8th overall against some 400 other athletes. The Herndon Reston area disability, brain injury and workers comp lawyer was also 2nd in his age group, in his first Triathlon of 2008. Having finished 10th in 2005 and 8th in 2006, Landau was pleased with his performance, if not his time and age group placing. [Shown here is the TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau getting his age group award from Race Director and “Riptide Sports” Shandra Richardson and the Race’s Shark Mascot !]

In the previous posting, brain injury lawyer Doug Landau listed Direct Effects of head trauma and brain injuries.  In addition to those sometimes permanently disabling effects of an impact or blow involving the skull and brain, the Herndon Reston trial attorney notes that there are “Secondary Effect” which can also be quite devastating to the innocent victim of a bike or car crash.  Listed below are Secondary Effects of brain injury and head trauma:

B. SECONDARY EFFECTS OF BRAIN INJURY AND HEAD TRAUMA:

1. Cerebral edema or swelling

2. Herniations of brain tissue

3. Infection

4. As a result of traumatic brain damage, there may be permanent localizing neurologic defects or post-traumatic epilepsy.

See, www.pathology.vcu.edu/trauma.html

Traumatic lesions, whether they are the product of closed or penetrating injuries, and whether they are coup or contra-coup, may be said to have direct effects, and secondary effects.  Brain injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that it is important to have an experienced specialist examine and test for the subtle effects of a closed head injury and brain trauma.  Direct Effects of head trauma and brain injury, whether from bike crashes, falls, motor vehicle accidents, falling merchandise, or sudden acceleration/deceleration events, are listed below:

A. DIRECT EFFECTS

1. Skull fracture

2. Hemorrhages–epidural, subdural, subarachnoid or parenchymal

3. Lesions to brain–contusion, laceration [ the most minor “lesion” has no identifiable gross or microscopic counterpart in human material and is the concussion which produces unconsciousness].

4. Diffuse axonal injury [DAI]

(In the next post, Doug Landau will cover Secondary Effects of head trauma and brain injury.)

Brain injury lawyer Doug Landau studied neurology and neurophysiology before attending law school. He recognized that it was important to understand how his clients’ bodies functioned. This Virginia trial lawyer also realized that he needed to have more than just a passing understanding of the medical terminology used in his clients’ records and experts’ reports.

Landau (shown here teaching in Richmond on the topic of medical care and equipment for disabled workers on a government program) is fond of pointing out that the human body is a miraculous machine. It is resilient, and often able to recover from horrific and traumatic injury. The ABRAMS LANDAU trial team has seen a number of clients heal from terrible injuries and bounce back from enormous impact. This is especially true of our younger clients. Children, even those who sustain fractured skulls and subdural hematoma, seem to make better recoveries than their adult counterparts.

Part of the resiliency of the human body is found in the flexibility and elasticity of many of its parts. Tendons, ligaments, muscles and other connective tissues are often able to withstand and absorb significant impact and blows. There may be bruising and pain, but (more…)

ABRAMS LANDAU clients with severe disability or brain injury are often appointed a Guardian ad Litem In a court of law, Guardian Ad Litem literally means, “guardian for the suit.” Actually, Doug Landau was a Classics Minor in college and studied Latin for a number of years. He likens the phrase to mean “a Guardian who takes you to the shore.” The Herndon Reston brain injury lawyer notes that a Guardian Ad Litem has been appointed for mentally disabled clients, children in “infant settlement” cases and clients with brain injuries or who are in comas and cannot assist in their own cases or manage their own finances. For a client on life support at INOVA Fairfax Hospital, a Guardian was appointed to look out for her interests and to bring the lawsuit in his name.

A guardian ad litem in Virginia is an attorney (more…)

General Principles

A blow to the head, or any other severe physical force, can deform, displace, and tear the tissues covering the brain and the brain itself.  According to brain injury lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., the injury and disability from this type of “inside” injury can be more devastating than a fractured skull.   Tears in the “soft tissues” or “connective tissues” covering and protecting the brain may produce loss of function, necrosis, and hemorrhages.

Head injuries can be classified as:

(a) Closed: when a blunt object damages the brain and its coverings without actually perforating the skull or dura.  The closed type of injury constitutes the majority of civilian injuries. Extensive intracranial damage may result from an injury to the head which produces little damage to the outside.  Instead, the force may be communicated through a rigid, bony vault (calvarium) to the soft tissue within.

(b) Penetrating: when the skull and brain are directly lacerated by an object, such as a bullet or a knife.  Brain injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that when the skull is pierced by a penetrating object that needs to be surgically removed, it is sometimes called “Excaliber Syndrome.”  While working at Columbia Presbyterian Neurological Institute in the 1970s, Landau witnessed just such an extraction, as well as “penetrating” head injuries sustained by New York City Police and Law Enforcement Officers.  Even when the injury to the brain was not readily apparent, the object (in one case, a metal pipe) was easily observed on the x-rays.

The Madeira School and Sea Devils Swim Team once again hosted a unique fundraising sports event for the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation (”CBTF”) on a sunny morning at the Greenway.  The Dan Fiduccia Spring Biathlon is one of the firrst events of the multi-sport calendar, and this year exceeded past participation.  Award-winning swim coach Rod Montrie and Gib Smith [shown giving Doug Landau his medal] have been the race directors of this Sprint Biathlon which brings young competitors and old, teams and individuals and even a Trial Lawyer who does the race more than once on the same morning (or, as was the case in ‘06, a race in Herndon at 6 and then at Madeira at 10, winning the former outright and winning his age group in the latter !).

Herndon-Reston area sports injury trial lawyer Doug Landau did the Spring Biathlon not just once, but twice !  This year, Landau once again competed as a Relay team member, swimming the 525 yards in the pool in 8:37 before handing off to sprinter Ken Atkinson, who then covered the 5km. course that consisted of roads, trails, grass and HILLS .  The Triathlon Trial Lawyer ran with his talented, multifaceted team mate.  Then, after “refueling” with about a 20 min. “pit stop,” Landau entered the pool as a “solo” athlete.  Swimming another 525 in 8:58, the Triathlon Trial Lawyer managed to pick off a number of the fast swimmers and end up with a time of 31:40.   It was a beautiful day, a well-known course, plenty of cheering friends and family, for a great cause.