Fairfax & Loudoun Personal Injury Lawyer - Crash

Tiger Woods crashes within a golf shot of his Florida house; Most car accidents occur close to home.

Doug Landau — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:25:48 GMT

Even superstar athletes hit ditches, sand traps, cars and fire hydrants close to home. Car crash lawyer Doug Landau notes that many of his injured clients were struck by another motorist with a few miles of their home. The Florida Highway Patrol will cite golf champion Tiger Woods for careless driving but will not press criminal charges for his car crash outside his Florida home last Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The ticket will include a $164 fine and four points against his driver’s license. The police report includes the following details:

* Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2: 25 on the morning of Friday, Nov. 27, 2009.
* The airbags did not deploy.
* Woods’ wife, Elin Nordegren, told police she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the Cadillac Escalade in an effort to rescue her husband.

Most car crashes happen near home. Two thirds of road accidents occur within five miles of a motorist’s home. And, the survey showed, nearly a third of crashes happen less than a mile from home. Crashing into a parked car was the most common type of accident within a mile of a driver's home, the poll of 3,800 people also revealed. Just 5% of car accidents occurred 26 to 50 miles from home, and 6% at distances of more than 50 miles away.

Of the accidents closest to home, the most common cause after hitting parked vehicles was crashing while driving out of a minor road, followed by reversing into a vehicle and by hitting a wall. Research suggests that many drivers appear to be in a comfort zone when driving close to home on familiar roads, hence why such a large proportion of accidents occur there. It's so important to keep a full level of concentration when driving, whether you're just popping to the shops or starting or ending a longer journey. These results emphasize this even more.' As one who has represented innocent victims of careless drivers, Doug Landau understands how important it is to pay full time and attention to te operation of our motor vehicle to avoid a car wreck or other accident in your own neighborhood.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Increased safety needed for DC Metro Subway, train and bus drivers

Doug Landau — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:48:00 GMT

After four metro drivers have been injured in train accidents since June, it appears that greater safety training is needed by DC Metro. Union officials have also called for more safety training for new and existing subway train operators. Having tried cases where the employer tries to rely on the injured workers' signatures on a safety book, DC workplace accident lawyer Doug Landau knows firsthand that there must be actual, "hands on" safety training, and that such safety training must continue throughout a train, bus or Metro driver's career. Personal injury lawyer Landau notes that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the spate of accidents on the DC Metrorail system. Because these "common carriers" are subject to special rules and responsibilities when passengers are injured, the ABRAMS LANDAU trial attorney calls upon the District of Columbia Government to step up its safety training and accident prevention procedures.

A subway, train, railroad, ferry, bus and shuttle service are all generally Common Carriers. They convey passengers without refusal if the approved fare or charge is paid. The second definition in the Blacks Law Dictionary goes on to state that a Common carrier is “One who holds himself out the public as engaged in business of transportation of persons or property from place to place for compensation, and who offers services to the general public.” If you or someone you know has been injured in a Metro train, bus or subway car crash, e-mail us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., or call 703-796-9555 today.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Deadly "trailer sway" - the hidden dangers of RVs

Doug Landau — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:55:00 GMT

Trailer sway can be deadly. This phenomenon occurs when a "Recreational Vehicle" ("RV") is met by a crosswind, passing truck or other sideways wind source. Having driven an RV, Broadlands and Broad Run injury lawyer Doug Landau has experienced firsthand how difficult these large vehicle are to handle on the open road under windy conditions. "Even though I could see far down the road, it took intense attention and anticipation to safely drive the RV to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia with my kids in the back" the experienced traveler and trial lawyer noted.

Virginia RV crash injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that educating RV drivers about "trailer sway" can help prevent accidents and death on the roadways. Trailer sway is very difficult to bring under control, even if you do everything right. Taking the wrong action can quickly turn trailer sway into a deadly crash. One of the problems RV drivers encounter is that they are not advised about the hazards of trailer sway. RV salesmen do not give the innocent purchasers information on how they should react in the event of trailer sway. Yet an RV is often as big as a large truck and can cause devastation if not handled properly.

If you or someone you know has been injured by an out of control RV or motor home that had "trailer sway," please contact ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. or give us a call at 703-796-9555.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

New book for bike crash victims, "Ten Mistakes That Can Derail Your Bicycle Injury Case."

Doug Landau — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:05:00 GMT

ABRAMS LANDAU received its first shipment of Doug Landau's new book, "Ten Mistakes That Can Derail Your Bicycle Injury Case." Drawing upon over 25 years' experience helping injured cyclists, disabled riders and their families, Herndon and Reston bike crash lawyer Landau compiled a book that cyclists have been requesting online since this summer's court cases in Loudoun County.

In addition to common sense tips and actual cases, Landau provides extensive forms, explanations and details that many so-called personal injury lawyers neglect to share with their clients. The easy to read book talks about defective bicycle products, car crashes, cyclists attacked by dogs and head injuries. There are pictures of cracked helmets from Landau's head and brain injury cases, as well as discussion of the investigation of these sports injury cases. The Landau Law Shop is regularly contacted by injured bikers, and this new book is also intended to be a helpful resource for those cases and injured cyclists that we cannot help. If you or someone you know would like to get a copy, please e-mail ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. or call (703)796-9555.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Virginia Tech: Drivers of heavy trucks 23 times more likely to crash while texting

Doug Landau — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:10:00 GMT

With 2 Virginia Tech "Hokies" in his household, Ashburn car crash lawyer Doug Landau pays special attention to the quarterly Virginia Tech Magazine. This Fall, it was revealed that the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted studies of driver distraction while using cell phones and text messaging. I have previously written about the increased dangers to Loudoun Fairfax and Leesburg drivers, bikers and pedestrians presented by "distracted drivers." Texting while driving increases the risk of a crash much more than previous studies have concluded, with motorists taking their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on their cell phones, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported

The institute used cameras to continuously observe light-vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. It found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks, the study found.

If you or someone you know has been injured by a "distracted driver" or motorist who was texting or programming their cell or mobile phone, please contact ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. or give us a call at 703-796-9555.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Fairfax County Police "Youthful Driver Program" helps new drivers

Doug Landau — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:29:00 GMT

Fairfax County Police Department's "Youthful Driver Program" can help new drivers. The "Youthful Driver Program" can help "give them the knowledge and experience that could save their lives," notes Herndon Reston and Franklin Farms car crash lawyer Doug Landau. The Oak Hill injury lawyer has taken similar courses in Virginia, online and in the District of Columbia, and he has learned new safety and defensive driving techniques.

The Fairfax County program web site asks:

Is someone you love learning to drive? The FCPD Youthful Driver Program can help. Police instructors will help your “young driver”:

* Learn what it means to be an “inexperienced” driver
* Identify the risks and realities of being teen driver
* How to ignore peer pressure behind the wheel

Spend a Saturday learning the rules and risks of the road. Dangers of the road aren’t confined to teenagers; everyone on the road will be safer once they learn:

* How to recover from skidding on a wet roadway
* How to adjust your driving when road surfaces vary- hard surface to soft shoulders
* How to judge distance while driving at highway speeds

The FCPD Youthful Driver is a one day, hands-on course, running Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Location: Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, 3725 Stonecroft Blvd. Chantilly
Cost: $200.00 (Financial accommodations may be made for qualifying students)
Eligibility: Fairfax teens aged 16-18 with a valid driver’s license
Contact: School Resource Officer in the high school the young driver attends, or call 703/818-1924.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Good Witnesses use ALL their senses

Doug Landau — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT

Good witnesses can methodically recall what happened before, during and after an impact through the use of all of their 5 senses. These observers can not only recollect what they saw before and after a car crash, but they can also relate what they:

    * smelled (gasoline on the pavement, leaking transmission fluids, burning rubber from skid marks on the ashphalt, etc.);
    * heard (the horn going off before the sound of shattering glass, the back up warning before a large truck went into reverse, the screams of the other passengers to "watch out !" and the sirens of the ambulance, police and emergency personnel);
    * tasted (airbag propellent that had exploded into their mouth, blood, nausea, etc.);
    * felt (glass in their skin, throbbing from where their hit hit the windshield, burning from the safety air bags, upside down or sideways when the car or truck came to rest on the side of the road, a warm wet feeling seeking down the arm from a laceration, etc.)

If you or a loved on has been in a car accident, train wreck, bike crash, it is important to document and set down the important facts of what happened. One way you might get the most out of the recent memory of the event is by trying to go through the 5 senses before, during and after the impact when making notes as to what you recall. This is important to do while it is still fresh in your mind. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident or crash, please contact us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. by e-mail or telephone (703-796-9555), as we may be able to help.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Car & Driver reports: Texting more dangerous than driving drunk

Doug Landau — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:23:00 GMT

Car & Driver reports: Texting while operating a car or truck is more dangerous than driving drunk. Aldie, Prince William and Loudoun County car crash lawyer Doug Landau notes that a study by Car and Driver magazine demonstrated that texting while driving can be even more dangerous than driving while drunk.

ABRAMS LANDAU trial attorney Landau also observes that all of the driving in the Car and Driver study was done in a straight line on an 11,800-foot runway. After conducting the texting tests on both subjects at 35 and 70 miles per hour, the subjects then drank alcoholic beverages until they reached the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content. Then, they went back behind the wheel and ran the identical test without any texting distractions. The results showed that even on a straight road without any traffic, road signals, or pedestrians, and looking just at reaction times, the texting results were even worse than the alcoholic impairment results. The lesson to be learned: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TEXT AND OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE. BE SAFE. BE SMART. PULL OVER AND TEXT.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

ABRAMS LANDAU donates Bicycle Safety books to Town of Herndon, Virginia

Doug Landau — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:51:00 GMT

After Doug Landau donated coloring books to the "Bike 2 Work" festival, the Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon and the Giant Acorn festival in Bumpass, Spotsylvania, Virginia, he brought the bicycle safety booklets for kids to the Herndon Depot Museum. Next time you visit us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., please visit the Depot Museum. A train station until 1968, Herndon's old depot became a museum housing artifacts and exhibits on railroad and town history. It is located near the the striking Municipal Center, the beautiful Herndon Fortnightly library, the fun-filled Town Green (where the "Friday Night Live" concerts are held in the summer), the Train Depot Museum is less than 100 yards from the famous red caboose. The Herndon Dulles Visitor's Center and Herndon Depot Museum are open daily from 10am until 4pm, and you can often find friendly Connie Hutchison there to answer questions about the town, give free information, maps and show you to the exhibits documenting Herndon's history. There's even pictures of the ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. building, which date back to the 1870's !

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau

Construction on the W&OD Trail poses dangers for bikers, runners and cars

Doug Landau — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:36:00 GMT

Two trucks and a motorcycle narrowly missed hitting cyclists near the Herndon Post Office and lumber yard because the drivers were distracted by the construction vehicles and signs. While the speed limit is only 25 mph in the vicinity of the 7-11 and the W&OD Trail, cars and trucks coming from Eldon Street are confronted with signs on both sides of the street, a new light configuration and heavy construction equipment at the lumber yard building project. Small bikes and riders coming from Reston are not easily seen as they head West. And, with the noise, dust and confusion, motorists are surprised when a cyclist comes across their path.

If you are riding or training on your bike in the area of the W&OD Trail, be careful. Distracted cars, trucks and motorcyclists are confronted by new traffic patterns, vehicles turning into the Post Office and out of the 7-11 gas station and bank. It is a busy and dangerous area next to the trail used by bikers, joggers, walkers, roller bladers and skate boarders. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident on or near the W&OD Trail, e-mail or call ABRAMS LANDAU (703-796-9555) today.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Doug Landau