Elias Contreras has filed a lawsuit against a major Texas corporation, accusing it of negligence that led to his injury. The complaint was lodged on February 27, 2025, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, naming H-E-B, LP as the defendant.
The case stems from an incident on August 25, 2023, when Elias Contreras visited an H-E-B store located at 7755 W. Bellfort Boulevard in Houston. While shopping, Contreras slipped and fell on a jelly-like substance that had been left unattended on the floor. According to the petition, there were no caution signs or warnings about the hazardous condition. Contreras asserts that H-E-B was negligent in maintaining safe premises for its customers. The plaintiff claims that the defendant knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to take appropriate measures to warn or protect patrons like him from harm.
Contreras argues that as an invitee—someone who enters a property for mutual benefit—H-E-B owed him a duty of care to ensure their premises were safe. The petition details several ways in which H-E-B allegedly breached this duty: by creating an unreasonably dangerous condition through its employees; failing to place caution signs or barriers around the hazardous area; not verbally warning customers; and neglecting to clean up the substance promptly. These actions, according to Contreras, constitute negligence and directly caused his fall and subsequent injuries.
As a result of this alleged negligence, Contreras is seeking monetary relief ranging from $250,000 to $1 million for damages including medical expenses (past and future), physical pain and mental anguish (past and future), physical impairment (past and future), wage loss, and loss of household services. He also requests prejudgment and postjudgment interest as well as court costs.
Representing Elias Contreras is attorney J. Terrelle Bynum from the Law Office of Domingo Garcia L.L.P., based in Houston. The case is filed under Cause No. 2025-13509 in the 215th Judicial District Court of Harris County with Judge Marilyn Burgess presiding.