A Merchantville, New Jersey, medical office has to keep the way in and the way through reasonably safe for every patient it schedules. New Jersey law puts that duty on the practice and on the building owner alike. A patient injured by a hazard nobody fixed can pursue payment for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
At Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer, our Merchantville slip and fall accident lawyers handle claims for people hurt inside small offices and clinics. Most of those visits happen in buildings that are close to a century old. We help patients injured in a slip and fall accident hold a negligent property owner accountable.
Small Medical Practices Fill Merchantville’s Older Downtown Buildings
Walk the West Maple Avenue block on a weekday morning, and the doors keep opening. Patients arrive for therapy, checkups, and follow-up visits.
Rehabilitation clinics anchor this stretch. NovaCare Rehabilitation occupies a storefront at 20 West Maple Avenue, and TheraSport Physical Therapy sits a few doors down at number 30. Physical therapy runs on repeat visits, so one patient uses the same entry and the same hallway week after week.
The buildings came first, and the practices moved in later. Storefronts on this block sit steps from the corner where Maple Avenue crosses Centre Street. They were built for shops and offices, not for a schedule of appointments. Another space on the same short block is marketed today for retail, medical, or office use.
What Makes the Front Steps at Merchantville Medical Offices Dangerous?
Many front doors on this block sit above the sidewalk, and the steps are older than the practices inside. That short climb is where a lot of appointments go wrong.
Entries here tend to be narrow and set back from the sidewalk, with lighting that was added later. Step heights are not always equal, so a foot lands lower or higher than the body expects. A short run of steps often has no handrail at all, because none was required when the building went up.
Now add a heavy door that swings out and a patient holding a cane. There is no free hand left to catch a stumble. Summer storm runoff pools at the Maple Avenue crossroads, and wet shoes carry that water up the steps.
Why Are the Interior Stairs in Merchantville Offices So Steep and Narrow?
They were built for the people who lived or worked in the building, not for a stream of patients. Commercial and accessibility standards came decades later.
Older stairs such as these tend to be steep, with treads too shallow for a full adult foot. A turn at a landing shortens the inside of each step even more. Handrails often run along one side only, or were added later at whatever height was handy.
None of that troubles a healthy adult in flat shoes. It matters a great deal to someone in a walking boot or a fresh knee brace. A second-floor suite reached only by stairs turns a routine visit into a real climb.
How Do Waiting Rooms and Hallways Put Merchantville Patients at Risk?
Rooms in these buildings were laid out for other uses, so the walking path is whatever space is left over. Chairs, tables, and file cabinets shrink it further.
A waiting area packed with chairs leaves one narrow lane to the door. Crutches, canes, and bags lean against those chairs and slide into that lane. Where tile meets carpet, a lip at the seam can catch a toe.
Doorways in old buildings are narrow, and corners are blind. Someone leaving an examination room and someone rounding the corner meet with no warning. On a rainy morning, water tracked in from the sidewalk sits in the doorway everyone uses.
Why Do Patients Face a Higher Fall Risk at Merchantville Clinics?
Because many of them are already hurt when they walk in. The rehabilitation practices on this block treat people recovering from surgery, working through an injury, or learning to walk again.
That is the group meeting the building at its weakest points. A patient on crutches manages the front steps twice, and the second time comes after a session that has drained the legs.
Falls are a serious national problem, and the risk for older adults is climbing. CDC data shows the older-adult fall death rate rose 21% between 2018 and 2024. That climb matters here, where recovering patients fill a lot of therapy schedules.
At Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer, our Merchantville slip and fall accident lawyers see how one bad step can undo months of recovery.
What Does a Merchantville Medical Office Owe the Patients It Invites In?
Real care, and the age of the building does not lower that bar. New Jersey premises liability means an owner has to keep a property reasonably safe for the people allowed on it. That duty covers a waiting room the same way it covers a store aisle.
A patient with a scheduled visit is a business invitee, meaning a guest the business wanted through its door. That status carries the strongest protection New Jersey gives a visitor. The practice has to look for hazards, repair what it finds, and warn about anything it cannot fix yet.
Most personal injury cases turn on notice. If the office knew about the loose tread, or should have found it, responsibility follows. In a rented building, the landlord and the practice can both share the blame.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Office Falls in Merchantville
- What Should I Do Right After a Fall at a Merchantville Doctor’s Office?
Ask for medical attention on the spot, since you are standing in a place that can start that record. Photograph whatever put you down, whether a step, a stair tread, a mat, or a wet floor, before the staff tidies it away. Ask the front desk to write an incident report, and get the name of anyone who saw you go down.
- Who Pays My Medical Bills After a Fall at a Merchantville Office?
Two policies usually matter, at two different points in time. The building owner or the practice carries liability coverage, meaning the insurance that answers for injuries on the property. A settlement comes out of that policy, while your own health insurance normally covers treatment in the meantime.
- How Long Does a Slip and Fall Claim Take in Merchantville?
That depends on how badly you were hurt and whether the insurance company argues about fault. A claim with clear responsibility can settle once treatment wraps up, whereas a disputed one that heads to court runs longer.
Hurt in a Fall? Talk to a Merchantville Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer Today
If you were hurt in a fall at a medical or professional office in Merchantville, Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer can review what happened and explain your options. Our Merchantville slip and fall accident lawyers know how to hold a negligent property owner accountable for a hazard that was left in place. Call 215-985-0138 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Located in Philadelphia, as well as Cherry Hill and Marlton, NJ, we assist clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
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