Slipping on a wet floor at a Harbison department store, tripping over broken pavement in a Five Points parking lot, or being assaulted due to negligent security at your Forest Acres apartment complex can transform ordinary errands into life-altering injuries while property owners deny responsibility.
Available 24/7 - Property Owners Fix Hazards to Destroy Evidence
Premises liability law holds Columbia, South Carolina property owners, retailers, landlords, and businesses accountable when dangerous conditions on their property cause injuries—but these cases require proving they knew or should have known about hazards and failed to fix them or warn visitors. Whether you were injured at Columbiana Centre, a downtown Columbia office building, a Vista restaurant, or any Richland County property, owners and their insurance companies immediately begin denying fault.
Matt McGuire has pursued premises liability claims throughout South Carolina for over 30 years, holding negligent property owners accountable when their failure to maintain safe conditions causes preventable injuries. Critical evidence including surveillance footage, incident reports, and witness statements disappears within days. Call (888) 499-5738 immediately—McGuire Law operates 24/7/365 because premises liability cases demand urgent investigation before property conditions change.
Property owners and their insurance companies use sophisticated defenses to deny premises liability claims. Winning requires an attorney who understands the legal elements, evidentiary requirements, and courtroom strategies that overcome these defenses.
Proving property owners knew or should have known about dangerous conditions through maintenance records, prior incidents, employee testimony, and inspection logs.
Immediately demanding surveillance footage, incident reports, and maintenance records before property owners delete or destroy evidence of their negligence.
Identifying building code violations, OSHA standards breaches, and industry guideline failures that prove property owner negligence.
Access to safety engineers, security experts, and building inspectors who testify that conditions violated reasonable standards of care.
Defeating "open and obvious" defenses, comparative fault arguments, and blame-shifting tactics property owners routinely use.
Property owners owe duties to keep their premises safe for visitors. When they breach those duties through negligence, victims deserve compensation for resulting injuries.
Wet floors without warning signs at Target, Walmart, Publix, Harris Teeter, and retail stores throughout Columbia shopping centers.
Broken sidewalks, uneven pavement, potholes, or cracked walkways at apartment complexes, businesses, and public accommodations.
Accidents in parking lots, stairwells, hallways, or common areas where darkness conceals dangerous conditions.
Missing handrails, broken steps, slippery surfaces, or code violations at offices, apartments, and businesses throughout Richland County.
Assaults at Columbia nightclubs, bars, apartment complexes, or parking garages where absent security enables preventable violence.
Hotels, apartment complexes, or residential properties lacking proper fencing, supervision, or safety equipment.
Ceiling collapses, falling merchandise, or structural failures at Columbia stores, warehouses, and commercial properties.
Mold, asbestos, carbon monoxide, or hazardous substances at Columbia rental properties or workplaces causing illness or injury.
After injuries occur, property owners immediately fix dangerous conditions—not out of concern for safety, but to destroy evidence of their negligence.
Premises liability cases pit injured individuals against property owners, corporations, and insurance companies with vast resources. Our values ensure you receive representation that levels the playing field.
We start investigating within hours, demanding evidence preservation and documenting dangerous conditions before property owners eliminate proof of negligence.
Photographing conditions, obtaining maintenance records, interviewing employees, and building comprehensive evidence files proving owner knowledge.
Contingency representation means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation. No hourly fees, no retainers, no financial risk during your recovery.
Access to safety engineers, security consultants, and medical experts who prove property owners violated industry standards and caused your injuries.
We don't accept insurance company denials or blame-shifting. Every defense gets challenged, every argument gets countered, every right gets protected.
South Carolina law imposes different duties depending on why you were on the property. Understanding these duties helps establish what property owners owed you and how they failed.
Customers, patients, tenants, and business visitors are owed the highest duty—property owners must inspect, maintain safe conditions, and warn of hidden dangers.
When property owners or employees knew about dangerous conditions but failed to remedy them before your injury occurred.
When hazards existed long enough that reasonable inspections should have discovered them—proving this requires investigating maintenance records.
Owners must post visible, adequate cautions about known hazards until repairs can be completed—failure to warn creates liability.
Columbia properties must meet safety standards for handrails, lighting, flooring, exits, and structural integrity—violations create presumptions of negligence.
When prior crimes on property made additional violence foreseeable, owners must implement reasonable protective measures.
Premises liability defendants deny responsibility aggressively, blaming victims for their own injuries while hiding evidence of dangerous conditions. Matt McGuire's investigative approach and trial experience forces accountability.
Immediately sending preservation letters requiring property owners to retain surveillance footage, incident reports, and maintenance records before destruction.
Investigating whether similar accidents occurred previously, establishing that property owners had notice of recurring dangerous conditions.
Questioning property managers and employees under oath about their knowledge of hazards, inspection procedures, and maintenance failures.
Retaining safety engineers and building code experts who testify that conditions violated industry standards and caused your injuries.
Countering "open and obvious" arguments, comparative fault claims, and every other defense property owners use to avoid responsibility.
Property accidents cause serious injuries requiring substantial compensation. Understanding available damages ensures insurance companies don't shortchange your recovery.
"Open and obvious" claims, victim blaming for footwear or distraction, arguing hazards developed immediately before your fall, and comparative fault allegations.
Premises liability cases raise complex questions about property owner duties, evidence requirements, and compensation rights. Here are direct answers to Columbia victims' most common concerns.
Report the accident to management, photograph the hazard, get witness contact information, seek medical attention, and contact Matt McGuire before giving statements to insurance adjusters.
"Open and obvious" defenses don't automatically defeat claims. We prove distractions, lighting conditions, or other factors that made hazards non-obvious despite owner arguments.
Through maintenance records, inspection logs, employee testimony, prior incident reports, and evidence showing how long dangerous conditions existed before your injury.
South Carolina allows recovery if you're less than 51% at fault. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover substantial compensation.
South Carolina's statute of limitations is generally three years, but evidence disappears within days. Contact McGuire Law immediately to preserve surveillance footage and records.
Repairs don't eliminate liability for injuries that already occurred. In fact, rapid repairs can suggest the owner knew the condition was dangerous—evidence supporting your claim.
Yes. Property owners and insurance companies aggressively deny premises liability claims. Without experienced representation, you'll face sophisticated defenses designed to eliminate compensation.
With over 30 years of experience defending South Carolina, McGuire Law provides elite legal representation with national recognition. McGuire Law has grown from a small practice into one of the most trusted law firms in South Carolina. We understand that legal issues can be overwhelming, whether you're facing criminal charges, dealing with injuries from an accident, or navigating family law matters.
McGuire Law is committed to each client's unique situation, and we don't believe in boilerplate solutions. Every case requires careful analysis, strategic planning, and aggressive representation. Our firm combines over 30 years of experience with cutting-edge legal strategies to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.
McGuire Law serves all 46 South Carolina counties. We know these counties, their courts, their legal communities, and most importantly, the people who live here. This local knowledge, combined with our legal expertise, gives our clients a significant advantage.
Matt McGuire received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Matt has served as a law clerk for a State Circuit Judge, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of South Carolina, and an Assistant Solicitor in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Matt is a proud husband, father of two, and a long-time resident of Richland County, South Carolina.
Don't let property owners and their insurance companies blame you for their dangerous conditions. Our firm has recovered millions for South Carolina property accident victims over three decades with a reputation for holding negligent owners fully accountable.
If you were injured on someone else's property anywhere in Columbia, call Matthew McGuire immediately at (888) 499-5738 for aggressive premises liability representation. Our firm has recovered millions for South Carolina property accident victims over three decades with a reputation for holding negligent owners fully accountable. Don't let property owners and their insurance companies blame you for their dangerous conditions—call now, chat online, or schedule your free consultation. We're available 24/7/365.
