In a gripping legal battle that underscores the importance of safety in commercial spaces, a Harris County resident has taken legal action against a local grocery chain following a distressing incident. Yakelin Maribel Lara Perez filed a complaint on February 11, 2025, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, accusing Sellers Bros. Inc. of negligence and premises liability after she suffered severe injuries from a slip and fall at one of their stores.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on June 1, 2023, when Ms. Perez was shopping at the Sellers Bros. store located at 5900 Renwick in Houston. At the time, she was 20 weeks pregnant and alleges that she slipped on water left unattended on the floor near the cashier's line. The fall resulted in significant bodily harm to Ms. Perez, who asserts that her actions did not contribute to the accident or her subsequent injuries.
Ms. Perez's claims against Sellers Bros. Inc., a domestic for-profit corporation operating within Texas, are rooted in allegations of negligence and failure to maintain safe premises for customers like herself who are considered invitees under Texas law. She argues that Sellers Bros., through its employees or agents, failed to exercise reasonable care by not addressing hazardous conditions such as water spills promptly and adequately warning patrons about potential dangers.
The plaintiff accuses Sellers Bros. Inc. of multiple breaches of duty including creating unsafe conditions they knew or should have known posed risks; failing to maintain their premises properly; neglecting to warn customers about hazards; and not taking steps to rectify dangerous situations which could foreseeably lead to accidents like hers.
In addition to negligence claims, Ms. Perez charges Sellers Bros. with premises liability and negligent maintenance for their alleged failure to inspect and remedy unsafe conditions or provide adequate warnings about them. She contends that these failures directly led to her accident and resultant injuries.
Ms. Perez is seeking monetary relief exceeding $1 million for damages including past and future medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of earnings capacity, and other related costs due to her injuries sustained from the fall at Sellers Bros.' store.
Represented by attorney Tasha Ricks from Mares & Associates P.C., Ms. Perez demands exemplary damages citing conscious indifference by Sellers Bros., suggesting they proceeded with disregard for customer safety despite being aware of potential risks associated with their premises' condition.
This case is presided over by Judge Nelson Cuero under Case ID 2025-09386 in the 165th Judicial District Court of Harris County.