Columbus Premises Liability Lawyer

When you get hurt at a Columbus, Ohio, business, on public property, or on someone else’s private property, the owner might be responsible for your resulting medical bills and lost wages. However, getting a property owner to take responsibility for your injuries can be a challenge. That’s where the Columbus premises liability lawyers at Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers can help.

With over decades of proven success in personal injury claims, Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers handles a wide range of personal injury claims such as wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents in Columbus, dog bites, Columbus motorcycle accidents, brain injury cases and more.

Now, we’re ready to help you fight for the compensation you need and deserve, too. Contact our law office in Columbus, OH, today at (614) 587-8423 to set a time for a free case evaluation. Our team is always standing by to take your call.

How Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers Can Help You Take on a Property Owner in Columbus, OH

How Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers Can Help You Take on a Property Owner in Columbus, OH

When a property owner in Columbus is negligent, they won’t rush to admit it or take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused. If you want to make the most of your premises liability lawsuit, you’ll need to put experience, resources, and a passion for justice in your corner.

That’s why Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers should be your first call for help.

Our Columbus personal injury lawyers are award-winning litigators who’ve dedicated their careers to helping everyday people take on powerful corporations. The results we achieve – which include hundreds of millions in settlements and jury awards – are a testament to the impact we make on the lives of the good people we represent.

Take the time you need to get better and trust our acclaimed legal team to handle your premises liability case for you.
We will:

  • Carefully investigate the accident to understand how and why it happened
  • Determine what steps the property owner could have – and should have – taken to keep you safe while on the premises
  • Evaluate evidence obtained during the discovery process
  • Enlist expert witnesses and specialists to consult as we build your case
  • Calculate what your premises liability case is likely worth
  • Pursue a substantial settlement offer during negotiations with the property owner and its insurance company
  • Argue your premises liability lawsuit at trial in Franklin County, if necessary

The owner of the premises where you got hurt was negligent. You deserve justice. Our premises liability attorneys in Columbus want to help you make the most of your fight for compensation.

We work on contingency, so there’s no cost to hire our law firm unless we win compensation for your premises liability case. Call our Columbus law office today to set a time for a free consultation.

What Is Premises Liability?

In Ohio, anyone who owns or manages property assumes a duty to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition. That way, guests and visitors can enter the premises and not have to fear for their safety. 

When an owner or manager is negligent in keeping their premises safe, they can be liable if an invited guest is injured or killed. 

Liability attaches when an owner breaches the duty of care owed to a guest. The specific duty that’s owed depends on how the visitor is classified under Ohio’s premises liability laws.

There are three main visitor classifications: invitee, licensee, and trespasser.

Invitees, who are owed the highest duty of care, are defined as individuals who enter property with the owner’s consent for a business-related purpose. Put another way, the property owner derives a benefit from the invitee’s visit. 

For example, you’d be considered an invitee if you shopped at a local Columbus grocery store. The store benefits because you’re spending your hard-earned money at their business. 

When it comes to invitees, property owners must inspect their property for hazards, repair dangers upon discovery, and provide adequate warnings of threats to safety.

Licensees are owed a lesser duty of care because their purpose for visiting premises is personal rather than business-oriented. The owner derives no business-related benefit from a licensee’s visit. You’d be considered a licensee if you visited a friend’s house or stopped by a local store for the sole purpose of using the restroom.

When it comes to licensees, there is no duty to inspect. Property owners in Columbus are only expected to fix known hazards and warn of known risks to safety.

Trespassers are generally not owed a duty of care under Ohio state law. When you enter property without the owner’s permission, you do so at your own peril. 

One notable exception involves children. When a property contains an attractive nuisance – like a swimming pool – a property owner can be liable if a child trespasses and gets hurt. There is an expectation that an owner will take appropriate precautions to protect children who would be enticed onto the property.

Representing Clients in All Types of Premises Liability Cases

At Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers, we have extensive experience handling a variety of premises liability cases in Columbus, including:

  • Dog bites and animal attacks
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Falling object accidents
  • Building collapse accidents
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Trip and fall accidents
  • Toxic exposure
  • Staircase accidents
  • Sidewalk accidents
  • Fires and explosions
  • Assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Negligent security

If you’ve been injured or experienced the wrongful death of a family member on someone else’s property in Columbus, call our law office right away. You may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries, costs, and suffering. Our premises liability lawyers in Columbus can help you explore your options and fight for a maximum financial recovery.

What Damages Can I Get After an Accident on Someone Else’s Property?

As the victim of an unexpected accident at a Columbus business, you may have the right to sue the property owner for your resulting injuries and trauma.

You’ll potentially be able to recover compensatory damages through an insurance claim or lawsuit.

Compensatory damages can include two types of awards.

Economic damages are paid to help you deal with the verified costs of your accident and injuries, including, but not limited to:

  • Lost wages
  • Disability
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Present medical bills
  • Future medical expenses
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
  • Nursing assistance
  • Funeral expenses

Non-economic damages are paid to help you cope with life changes and trauma that are more personal, including:

  • Loss of consortium
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Emotional distress
  • Embarrassment
  • Disfigurement
  • Pain and suffering

Don’t be surprised when the property owner (and its insurance company) downplays your trauma and physical wounds. They’ll actively work to limit how much – if any – compensation you can recover for your life-changing injuries. Our Columbus premises liability attorneys won’t let these tactics hurt your ability to get the compensation you deserve.

Rather, we’ll build a compelling personal injury claim that highlights your losses, demonstrates liability, and forces the defense to make you a reasonable settlement. If they refuse, they’ll have to take their chances against our top-rated litigators at trial because we won’t let you settle for a penny less than your case is worth.

What Happens if the Columbus Property Owner Blames Me For Getting Hurt?

Premises liability cases are a matter of negligence. And, in some cases, more than one person’s negligence can contribute to an accident. Don’t be surprised if and when the property owner attempts to blame you – in whole or in part – for getting hurt. These tactics can really hurt your ability to recover compensation if you don’t fight back.


That’s because Ohio’s modified comparative negligence statute will apply to your premises liability case. Under the law, you can only recover compensation if your share of the blame is equal to or less than 50 percent. Once your liability exceeds half, you lose the right to hold the property owner responsible for your accident.

You can receive a limited monetary award if you’re partly to blame. Damages are reduced proportionately to blame up to 50 percent. So, if you’re 15 percent at fault for a recent slip and fall accident in Columbus, your financial recovery will be reduced by 15 percent.

How Long Do I Have To File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in Ohio?

Ohio has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most personal injury cases, including matters of premises liability.

This gives you up to two years from the date of your accident to seek damages from a negligent business, government agency, or property owner in Columbus.

You lose the right to seek damages if your claim isn’t filed before the statute of limitations expires. However, there are limited exceptions that can adjust this time limit. It’s best to get in touch with our attorneys as soon as possible for legal help.

Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Columbus Premises Liability Lawyer

Don’t let a negligent property owner off the hook. Call Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers, and trust our top-rated legal team to help you fight for the financial accountability you need and deserve.

Our Columbus premises liability lawyers have over 71 years of collective experience and a reputation for taking on tough cases and winning top results. In total, we’ve helped clients win hundreds of millions in compensation. Today, we’re ready to put the full force of our law firm’s resources and experience behind your fight for damages, too.

We offer a free consultation, so call our Columbus law office to get started today.

Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Columbus, OH

Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers
20 E Broad St Suite 1000
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 587 8423

Business hours: 24/7

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