Premises Liability Attorney

Generally, in the State of Ohio, a landowner owes a duty to those who visit their property.  The extent of the duty owed is often times dependent upon the nature of the visit.  For instance, if a person enters the property of another for his or her own purpose, or for their own convenience, without the permission of the owner, that person might be categorized as a "trespasser"  In that situation, the duty owed to the trespasser by the landowner has been expressed as a duty to refrain from conduct that is willful, wanton or reckless.  The landowner might have the same duty to a person who enters the land by permission, but not by invitation, if the person is there for his or her own benefit or pleasure.  This person is often referred to as a "licensee".  A common example of a licensee might be a person who enters the land by permission of the landowner to hunt.  The duty owed by a landowner to those who are there by invitation is increased if they are there for a purpose beneficial to the landowner, or are there to enjoy hospitality as a guest of the landowner.  In situations where the invitation to enter the land is for the benefit of the landowner, the duty often expressed is the duty to use ordinary care for the safety of those persons, to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition, and to provide notice of concealed dangers which are known to the landowner, or which should have been discovered by the landowner.  This category of visitors are often described as an "invitee" or "business invitee".  The most common example of an invitee, or business invitee, is someone who enters a commercial establishment like a grocery or department store.  A person who enters the land of another by invitation to enjoy hospitality as a guest, is commonly referred to as a "social guest".  The duty owed by a landowner to a social guest is often times described as a duty to exercise ordinary care not to cause injury and to warn of any dangerous condition on the premises, not known by the guest if there is reason to believe that the social guest would not discover the dangerous condition.  The definitions and examples above are not meant to describe all circumstances and duties of a landowner.  The law of premises liability is complicated, very fact specific, and, if you have been injured on the property of another, it is always advisable to consult with a premises liability attorney to discuss your case.

The law of premises liability can involve many different situations where a person is injured on the premises or land of another.  Some common examples which might support a premises liability claim for damages are:

*Slips and falls caused by debris or liquids;

*Improper supervision;

*All terrain vehicle (ATV) collisions;

*falling objects;

*improper maintenance of the premises;

*Improper maintenance, construction or repair of sidewalks;

*Construction defects;

*swimming pools;

*Improper security;

*Improper construction or maintenance of stairways; and

*assault

If you have suffered injury on the land or premises of another it is advisable to consult with a premises liability attorney as soon as possible.  Many times, after an injury, the landowner will take measures to cure or repair the cause of your injury and, when this happens, valuable evidence, may be lost or difficult to discover. 

At W. Randall Rock, Attorney at Law, we have over 33 years of experience in the investigation and representation of individuals who have suffered injury because of the negligence, recklessness or willful and wanton conduct of property owners.  If you have sustained injury which you believe was the result of a violation of a duty of care owed to you by a property owner CALL US TODAY at (937)224-7625(ROCK), (855)206-7628, or CONTACT US by completing the form below to receive a FREE INITIAL and CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION!  Like claims for medical malpractice or wrongful death we will represent your interests on a contingent fee basis and, therefore, there is NO FEE UNLESS YOU WIN!

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