About Charleston Personal Injury Lawyer – Bernard Layne III
Bernard “Bernie” Layne III is a personal injury attorney and partner at Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers with more than 20 years of experience, dually licensed to practice in West Virginia and Ohio. He joined the firm’s partnership in 2007, three years after founders Jon Mani and Damon Ellis established the practice. He represents injured and disadvantaged clients throughout West Virginia and Ohio from the firm’s offices in Charleston, WV and Columbus, OH, focusing his practice on cases involving negligence by individuals, corporations, and government entities.
BACKGROUND & CREDENTIALS
Layne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Charleston, where he was named Student Body President and received the Ivor F. Boiarsky Award as the program’s top graduating Political Science student. He earned a Master of Arts in Sociology from Ohio University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law in the spring of 1999. Following law school, he served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Barbara Gorman of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Dayton, Ohio. He is licensed to practice in West Virginia and Ohio.
APPROACH TO CASES
Layne has limited his practice to representing individuals injured by the negligence of others, corporations, or government bodies. He has represented plant workers and pipefitters in asbestos exposure claims against corporate manufacturers, coal industry workers in cases involving OSHA violations, and families in wrongful death, medical malpractice, and product liability cases. His approach is shaped by earlier work with elderly and disabled individuals through Title 19 Medicaid Waiver programs in southern West Virginia.
RECOGNITION & MEMBERSHIPS
- AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (2013) — highest rating available, earned by roughly 2% of attorneys nationally
- Selected to the West Virginia Super Lawyers list every year since 2018
- Distinguished Service Award, West Virginia Association for Justice (2005)
- Past President, West Virginia Association for Justice (June 2013–June 2014)
- Member, WVAJ Executive Committee (nine years) and Board of Governors
- Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Member, Southern Trial Lawyers organization
- Member, American Association for Justice (over a decade)
- Alumnus of the Year, University of Charleston (2014)
- Member, University of Charleston Board of Trustees (since 2013)
- Partner, Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers (joined 2007)
OFFICE LOCATIONS
📍Charleston Office: 10 Hale St, #501, Charleston, WV 25301 — (304) 720-1000
📍Columbus Office: 20 E Broad St, Suite 1000, Columbus, OH 43215 — (614) 587-8423
Serving clients throughout West Virginia and Ohio.
Practice Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
West Virginia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, with shorter notice deadlines for claims against government entities. Bernard Layne III can confirm the applicable deadline for your specific case during a free consultation.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in West Virginia?
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in West Virginia?
Yes. He has represented plant workers and pipefitters in claims involving asbestos exposure from corporate manufacturers, as well as coal industry workers injured due to OSHA violations.
Does Bernard Layne III handle occupational exposure and asbestos claims?
Does Bernard Layne III handle occupational exposure and asbestos claims?
West Virginia follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you’re 50% or less at fault, you can still recover compensation, reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re 51% or more at fault, you’re barred from recovering anything.
What if I was partly at fault for my accident in West Virginia?
What if I was partly at fault for my accident in West Virginia?
Yes. Bernard Layne III has resolved cases involving nursing home abuse, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and defective products, representing injured and elderly clients throughout West Virginia.
Does Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers handle nursing home abuse cases in West Virginia?
Does Mani Ellis & Layne Accident & Injury Lawyers handle nursing home abuse cases in West Virginia?
He represents clients from the firm’s offices in Charleston, West Virginia and Columbus, Ohio, and is licensed to practice in both states.
What areas does Bernard Layne III serve?
What areas does Bernard Layne III serve?
