Columbia Premises Liability Lawyer

You have certain rights when you’re a guest on someone else’s property in Columbia, South Carolina. If you suffer injuries because of a property owner’s negligence, you can hold them accountable for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. Our Columbia premises liability lawyers at Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers can help you maximize your recovery. Call us today at (803) 573-0869.

Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers has passionately advocated for injury victims and families throughout central South Carolina. We force businesses, insurance companies, and property owners in Columbia to take responsibility when accidents happen on their premises. The result – millions paid to the good people we represent.

Contact our law office in Columbia, SC, today to discover the benefits of working with our top-rated legal team. Your first consultation is free.

How Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Win a Premises Liability Claim in Columbia, SC

How Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers Can Help You Win a Premises Liability Claim in Columbia, SC

The business or property owner won’t readily admit that your accident is their fault. In fact, they’ll probably try to blame you for being careless and getting hurt. The best way to force their hand and make them take responsibility for their negligence is by hiring an experienced Columbia personal injury lawyer.

Choosing Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers means working with a firm that’s been called the Best of Columbia by the Free Times. Our top-rated South Carolina trial attorneys have been recognized for excellence in personal injury law by Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers. 

There’s a reason we have over 1,200 positive reviews on Google, Facebook, and other platforms – we care about our clients and help them achieve life-changing results.

When you ask for our help taking on a business or property owner in Columbia, we will:

  • Handle all aspects of your premises liability claim so that you can have the opportunity to focus on your physical recovery and mental health
  • Conduct a thorough investigation into your accident and identify the dangerous condition that caused you to get hurt
  • Gather key pieces of evidence needed to prove your case and help you obtain a sizable financial award
  • Enlist expert witnesses and specialists to consult and offer testimony on your behalf
  • File your claim with the local Richland County court and/or insurance company
  • Force important conversations about what your premises liability claim is worth and fight to get you the best possible settlement during negotiations
  • Bring your premises liability lawsuit to trial if the owner or their insurance company won’t take responsibility for your accident

We handle premises liability matters in Columbia on a contingency fee basis. You’ll only pay for our help if we win compensation on your behalf.

Reach out to our Columbia personal injury attorneys to learn more and schedule a time for a free, no-obligation case assessment. Members of our team are standing by to take your call right now.

What is Premises Liability in South Carolina?

What is Premises Liability in South Carolina?

You have control over property you own, rent, or lease. When someone enters your property, it’s up to you to make sure that there aren’t any hidden dangers or hazardous conditions that could cause them to get hurt. 

The same is true when you enter someone else’s property – including businesses, government buildings, and public property. The owner of the premises – or the party responsible for its operation – must protect you from foreseeable danger, too. 

If they don’t and you get hurt in the process, you can take legal action to hold them accountable for your resulting damages.

Invitees vs. Licensees vs. Trespassers

In South Carolina, the lengths to which a property owner or business must go to protect a visitor varies. It ultimately depends on why you’re visiting the premises.

Visitors fall into three distinct categories: invitee, licensee, and trespasser. The duty of care is directly related to how you’re classified under the law.

Invitees are owed the highest duty of care because they’re visiting for a business-related purpose. The visit benefits the owner in some way. Examples of invitees include guests dining at a restaurant, people shopping at a local grocery store, or patients in a hospital. An owner must inspect for danger, fix hazards upon discovery, and provide adequate warnings.

Licensees are owed a lesser duty of care because their visit to the property is for personal reasons. Examples of licensees include social guests and people who enter a store for the sole purpose of using the restroom. In contrast to what’s expected to protect an invitee, an owner generally has no duty to inspect their property to protect a licensee.

Trespassers are not owed a duty of care in the state of South Carolina. When you enter someone else’s property without consent, you cannot expect them to keep you safe. The sole exception involves children who enter the property to explore an attractive nuisance, such as a swimming pool. In these situations, the owner has a duty to take steps to protect children from foreseeable harm.

Fighting for Clients in All Types of Columbia Premises Liability Cases

At Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers, we have decades of collective experience handling all types of premises liability matters, including those involving:

  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Trip and fall accidents
  • Falls from heights
  • Falling object accidents
  • Building collapse accidents
  • Dog bites 
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Stair accidents
  • Sidewalk accidents
  • Negligent security
  • Assault
  • Sexual assault
  • Fires and explosions
  • Toxic exposure
  • Bed bugs

Don’t underestimate just how important it will be to have an experienced premises liability attorney in Columbia by your side as you take on a business or property owner. Benefit from all that our award-winning personal injury law firm has to offer by calling our Columbia law office today.   

What Damages Can I Get in a Premises Liability Claim in Columbia, South Carolina?

Once you’ve been injured in an accident at a Columbia business or premises, you will have the right to take legal action in pursuit of compensatory damages.

Compensatory damages fall into two categories – economic and non-economic.

Economic damages help you handle the financial costs and projected losses related to your premises liability case, such as:

  • Current and future medical bills
  • Lost wages and benefits
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Rehabilitation
  • Nursing care
  • Property damage
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
  • Costs of a victim’s funeral and burial

Non-economic damages are designed to help you cope with trauma, life changes, and distress that’s much more difficult to value in terms of dollars and cents, including:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Chronic physical pain
  • Disfigurement
  • Physical scarring
  • Embarrassment
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

Expect the business to downplay your injuries and suffering. Trust our premises liability lawyers in Columbia to fight to get you the maximum value of your legal claim. 

As we build your case, we’ll enlist trusted experts and specialists to offer insight into your situation. We’ll use their testimony to bolster your claim and leverage a more meaningful settlement on your behalf. If the defense refuses to cooperate, they’ll have to risk going up against our successful South Carolina trial attorneys in court.

Can Shared Fault Limit My South Carolina Premises Liability Recovery?

Yes. South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence law applies to premises liability cases. If you share more than 50 percent of the blame for your accident, you cannot recover compensation from the property owner or their insurance company.

If you share 50 percent or less liability, you can seek a limited monetary award. Your settlement or jury verdict would be reduced proportionately to fault. For example, if you were assigned 10 percent of the blame for a slip and fall in Columbia, your monetary award would be limited to 90 percent of its value.

How Long Will I Have to File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in South Carolina?

Whether you’ve been injured or suffered the wrongful death of a family member in a Columbia accident, you’ll typically have just three years to file a premises liability lawsuit.

Once the three-year statute of limitations runs out, you will no longer be able to hold a negligent property owner or business accountable for your injuries and suffering.

Protect yourself and your legal rights by contacting our Columbia premises liability attorneys right away. We can begin to work on your fight for compensation as soon as you ask for our help.

Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Columbia Premises Liability Lawyer

A property owner’s negligence caused you to suffer serious and painful injuries. You shouldn’t have to struggle with the consequences on your own. Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers can help you fight for the monetary justice you need and deserve.

Our Columbia premises liability lawyers have decades of collective experience and a proven track record of winning tough cases. We’ve won tens of millions for our clients. Now, we’re ready to invest in your case and your future. 

Contact our law office in Columbia today to set up a time for a free initial case evaluation. We’re here to answer your call 24 hours a day.

Our personal injury law firm in Columbia, SC, also provides: