If you had a slip and fall accident on a stairway inside one of the converted shipyard buildings at the Navy Yard, Philadelphia, the owner or manager may be responsible. Many of these buildings went up between 1874 and 1939 for shipyard trades, not for office work. Their stairs were built for that work, and the conversion to offices did not always change them. Pennsylvania law requires whoever controls a building to keep its stairs reasonably safe.
At Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer, our Navy Yard, Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers handle claims involving interior stairs in older commercial buildings. We look at how a stairway was built, who maintains it now, and what changed when the building became office space. That history matters, because the hazard is often older than the company that leases the floor.
The Old Shipyard Buildings Behind Navy Yard, Philadelphia Office Stairwells
Urban Outfitters built its corporate campus out of eight former shipyard buildings, 525,000 square feet in all. Blue Rock Construction, the builder on that project, lists what each one used to be. One started as an iron-plating shop in 1874. Another was a machine shop in 1903, and a third was a ship fitter and joiner shop from 1905.
One of the eight, a piper and coppersmith shop, was finished in 1939. Building 7 was not sound enough to stand in its original form, so the builder added a steel frame to hold up its brick shell. Not every conversion here is that large. Quarters M, a former officer’s residence from the early 1900s, now serves as a 4,800-square-foot office for the McDevitt Company.
Why Do Stairs in Converted Navy Yard, Philadelphia Buildings Feel Steep or Uneven?
Because those stairs were built to serve a working shop, not an office floor. Industrial buildings from that era often have tall spaces between floors. A stair serving them runs long, with more steps to climb before the next landing. Step heights followed the building, so they can change from one flight to the next.
A conversion can add offices, lighting, and new flooring without touching the stair core at all. Treads are sometimes narrow, and a stone or metal edge feels different underfoot. That mix is normal in a building of this age, and it is not dangerous on its own. The risk comes from what goes unrepaired: a loose handrail, a cracked tread, a dead light over a landing.
How Does Office Use Change the Risk on Navy Yard Stairs?
It puts all-day foot traffic on stairs that once served shop work. An employee may climb the same flight several times in one shift. People carry laptops, coffee, and boxes of samples up and down those steps. A hand holding a box is not holding the handrail.
Falls at work are not a small problem. Federal data from the CDC counted 805 worker deaths from falls in 2020. Another 211,640 workers in private industry were hurt badly enough to miss days of work. Office buildings are part of that count, not an exception to it.
Visitors add another layer. They do not know the stairs, and they are often following someone else to a meeting.
Which Parts of a Converted Navy Yard Often Cause Falls?
The edges of a flight cause the most trouble: the first step, the last step, and the landings. People often look up from the steps just before the last one. Landings in these buildings can be small, and a door sometimes opens right onto one. Someone coming through that door meets someone already standing there.
Light matters as well, because a stair built inside thick masonry walls has few windows. Coming in from a daylit office floor, your eyes need a moment to adjust.
The walking surface can change at the same spot. New office flooring may end at an original stone or metal step edge, and the two do not grip the same way. That short stretch is where a foot slips or catches.
How Do Stair Hazards in the Navy Yard Area Go Overlooked?
People who climb the same stair every day stop seeing its flaws and simply step around them. The worn spot on the third tread becomes part of the route. Workers stop leaning on the rail that wobbles. Nobody reports it, because to them the stair is not broken but simply old.
That is why a hazard can exist in one of these buildings for years. The converted offices at the Navy Yard hold both kinds of users at once. Staff who know every flight share the stairs with clients, vendors, and new hires. A guest takes the flight once, at a normal pace, with no idea where the worn spots are.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stairwell Falls in Navy Yard, Philadelphia
- When Is a Building Owner Responsible for a Stairway Fall in Navy Yard, Philadelphia?
Under Pennsylvania premises liability law, a property owner or manager generally has a duty to keep the property reasonably safe for people who are legally allowed to be there. For an office stairway, that can include addressing hazards the owner knew about or reasonably should have discovered and repaired, or providing an adequate warning until the hazard is corrected.
- What Should I Photograph After Falling Inside a Navy Yard Office Building?
Get medical care first, then photograph the step you fell on, the handrail, and the lighting, shot from the direction you were walking. Take one wide photo of the full flight as well, because repairs can change the scene later. Ask building management to write an incident report and keep a copy.
- How Long Does a Stairway Fall Claim Take in Philadelphia?
Most stairway fall claims take months to resolve rather than weeks. The timeline often depends on the severity of the injury and how long treatment takes. The value of a claim may also depend on how the injury heals and whether additional treatment is needed.
If You Fell, Talk to Navy Yard, Philadelphia Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt on a stairway inside one of the Navy Yard’s buildings, our Navy Yard, Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer are ready to hear what happened and go over your legal options. 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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