Wilmington, Ohio is home to more than 12,000 people living in the metropolitan areas of Columbus and Dayton. Many locals commute and work in this area so it’s crucial to have some understanding of the laws surrounding premises liability in Ohio. Premises liability laws exist to ensure that property owners take appropriate care of their facilities and grounds to prevent injuries to lawful visitors on those properties. When accidents happen because of a property owner’s failure to address a known safety issue on his or her property, the injured party may seek compensation through a premises liability claim.
At the Brannon Law Firm, our team of attorneys has a 40-year history of successful cases on behalf of our clients in the Wilmington area and throughout Ohio. We have recovered more than $200 million dollars for our clients in settlements and case awards, and we offer free consultations to new clients. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury on another person’s property or on government property, consider the following information concerning premises liability law and reach out to a reliable Wilmington premises liability lawyer at our firm if you believe you require legal representation.
Basics of Premises Liability in Ohio
Similar to personal injury law, premises liability law relies on the legal concept of negligence, or one person’s duty to act with reasonable care in a given situation. For property owners, this means addressing known safety issues as soon as they become apparent, or at least making a reasonable effort to warn visitors to the property about known issues if they are likely to encounter them. One important concept that comes into play for premises liability claims is “foreseeability,” or whether or not a property owner could reasonably foresee the potential for injury from a known issue.
The type of visitor who suffers an injury on a property may also affect a subsequent lawsuit so consider speaking with a Wilmington personal injury attorney about the specifics of your case. Private property owners only have to prevent injuries to lawful visitors on the property. This includes invitees, who are usually friends, family, or neighbors who have the property owner’s permission to visit the property, or licensees, who are typically businesspeople who visit the property for their own purposes. A property owner generally owes a lesser duty of care to licensees and only needs to worry about warning them of a hazard if they are likely to encounter it.
Private property owners do not owe a duty of care to trespassers. An unlawful interloper who suffers an injury cannot sue the property owner since he or she did not give permission for the trespasser to enter the property. However, children are an exception. If a private property owner lives where there are children in the area, he or she should reasonably foresee the possibility of a child wandering onto the property and take care to prevent injuries to a child in such a situation, even if the child does not have permission to enter the property. The law does not expect children to possess the same sense of self-awareness and good judgment as adults.
Consult a Wilmington Premises Liability Attorney Today
If you’ve suffered an injury on private property that you believe was the result of negligence, reach out to the Brannon Law Firm today to speak with one of our attorneys. In the event you suffer an injury on publicly owned or government property, time is an even more critical factor, as filing a claim against a government agency requires meeting several strict filing deadlines. Our injury lawyers in Dayton have the resources and experience to help you with your claim, so contact us today to schedule a case evaluation with a qualified Wilmington premises liability lawyer.