Similar personal injury attorneys in Columbus
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
About Charles Cooper
Charles H. "Chip" Cooper, Esq. is a Co-founder and Trial Lawyer at Cooper Elliott in Columbus, Ohio. With more than 30 years as a trial lawyer, he co-founded the firm in 1995 and has tried cases throughout the United States, with more than 50 cases tried to verdict and numerous multi-million-dollar jury verdicts.
Before founding Cooper Elliott, Cooper practiced at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, one of Ohio's largest law firms. He left Porter Wright to become a true trial lawyer focused on representing people throughout the Midwest in medical malpractice, wrongful death, serious injuries, civil rights violations, wrongful convictions, employment discrimination, products liability, and class action matters. The firm is best known for helping pass Collin's Law in Ohio to increase penalties for hazing in universities.
Cooper has been recognized as Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent (the highest possible rating), holds an Avvo rating of 10.0, and has been named to Super Lawyers annually since 2008, Best Lawyers annually since 2005, the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Super Lawyers Top 50 in Columbus (2023), and Cleveland Magazine's Top Attorneys. He is an Ohio Supreme Court-approved mentor and a presenter at the American Board of Trial Advocates Masters in Trial program.
He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the National Trial Lawyers. While in law school, he served as an editor of the law review and represented his school in national moot court competitions. He is admitted to the Ohio Bar.
Proven verdicts and settlements
A Franklin County jury found a J.B. Hunt truck driver and her employer liable after diesel fuel leaking from her semi caused a fatal motorcycle crash on an I-71 ramp in Columbus in August 2001. The jury awarded $1,449,000 for wrongful death, $69,000 for the widow's emotional distress and $5.5 million in punitive damages. The Tenth District reversed the punitive award and the attorney fees tied to it, and the $1,518,000 in compensatory damages stood.
A Franklin County jury in June 2003 found a Rush Transportation driver liable for the death of motorcyclist Robert L. Beavers Jr., who was run over on Groveport Road in Columbus in October 2001 while the driver fled. The jury awarded $767,600 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages against the driver and the company. The Tenth District later threw out the punitive award against Rush but left the compensatory award, the driver's punitive award and the attorney fees in place.
In March 2005 a Delaware County, Ohio jury awarded the estate of Jeffrey Heintzelman $1,014,186 for his wrongful death, finding no comparative fault. Heintzelman was electrocuted in July 2002 by an unprotected outlet feeding an air conditioner condensate pump that contractor Thomas Martel had installed. The jury separately awarded his widow $2,650,000 for emotional distress. In 2006 the Fifth District upheld the estate's award and struck the widow's.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
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Proven verdicts and settlements from other Columbus firms
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.