New Beginnings—Happier Endings

Sometimes, when our lives are moving forward and going well, the most unexpected occurrence can happen, which change our lives forever.

In 2013, as Mr. K was driving to meet his son at the gym for their weekly workouts, a car pulled out into his lane of traffic. With no warning, it was impossible for him to avoid the collision. Using his training and experience as a professional truck driver, Mr. K tried to avoid the crash, but his Chevy smashed into the side of the other vehicle, totaling his car, which he had kept in perfect appearance and working order.

Prince William County Police and Manassas EMS were called to the scene. Rather than show up at Traffic Court, the other driver paid the fine. However, Mr. K was left with years of lower back pain, time away from work, the loss of his job after over a decade with the company and the inability to help around the house or be a husband to his wife.

When pursuing a claim against another individual’s auto liability insurance carrier, what most people don’t realize is that if you have been significantly injured, more than just your medical expenses and lost wages are included in the harms that can be reimbursed in court. Your family relationships, your self-esteem, your pride and personal appearance can also be diminished or lost. The law recognizes that in addition to medical bills and lost wages, physical pain, inconvenience, embarrassment, mental suffering, disfigurement, permanent impairment and emotional distress can all be significant elements of the harms caused by a negligent defendant. A person who once saw themselves as the main provider for their family can be reduced to a shell of the person they once were, simply by the unsafe act of another driver. Mr. K had been working as an over the road truck driver for over a decade when the Defendant’s unsafe conduct ended his career. He was so badly damaged, that lawyer Landau was able to win his Social Security Disability case BEFORE the car crash case went to court! In other words, the Federal Government found Mr. K to be so disabled, that they granted him monthly disability benefits from his accumulated earnings and Social Security. However the Federal benefits were not enough to support a family.

Luckily, this injured person found their way to Abrams Landau, Ltd. With our vast legal knowledge and experience, we assisted this client through the claim process, litigation and finally mediation. This Herndon law firm was able to successfully settle this client’s claims against the at-fault driver without having to go to trial. After the parties had gone through the “Discovery’ process, they presented their case to a retired Circuit Court judge. The Mediation process enabled the injured driver to express the losses he sustained and show the evidence his lawyer, Doug Landau of the Abrams Landau law firm, would call upon at trial.

Some of the advantages of the Mediation were the savings of many thousands of dollars in expenses (primarily for calling Mr. K’s treating doctors to court to testify), and the fact that there would not be months or years waiting for post-trial motions and/or appeals. With the monies received at settlement, our client has been able to move forward and purchase a new home for him and his wife, where their children and grandchildren can visit and share future family memories. While we were not able to undo the physical injuries sustained, we were able to provide our client, and his family, a chance at a brighter future.

If you have been involved in an accident, fall or other source of injury, through no fault of your own, please contact us. We would welcome the opportunity to hear your story and perhaps provide you with a happier “ever after.” If you, or someone you care for has been injured and become disabled as the result of a car, truck, bicycle or motorcycle crash and there are questions about how best to move forward, e-mail or call us at Abrams Landau, Ltd. (703-796-9555).