By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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Beverly Law is not affiliated with H-E-B. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.
Who owns H-E-B
H-E-B is a Texas company. In a July 2026 announcement, it said it is recognized as the largest privately held employer in Texas, said it operates 460 stores in Texas and Mexico with sales of more than $50 billion, and said it employs more than 175,000 people, whom it calls Partners. It is based in San Antonio (H-E-B Newsroom, July 22, 2026). The company traces its start to a shop on Main Street in Kerrville that opened in November 1905 (H-E-B Newsroom, Kerrville).
H-E-B also runs stores under other names. The same July 2026 release says H-E-B operates Central Market and Joe V’s Smart Shop stores throughout Texas, and counts 14 H-E-B stores, six Central Market stores and three Joe V’s Smart Shop locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A fall at one of those stores raises the same legal questions as a fall at an H-E-B.
What Texas requires you to prove
A Texas shopper hurt by a condition in a store must prove that the store had actual or constructive knowledge of the condition, that it posed an unreasonable risk of harm, that the store did not use reasonable care to reduce or remove the risk, and that this failure caused the injury (Keetch v. Kroger Co., 845 S.W.2d 262, 264 (Tex. 1992)). Constructive knowledge requires evidence of how long the hazard existed, because without it a jury has no basis to judge whether the store had a fair chance to find it (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Reece (Tex. 2002)).
Two more rules shape every Texas fall case. You generally have two years from the fall to sue (CPRC 16.003), and if a jury finds you more than 50% responsible, you recover nothing (CPRC 33.001).
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What H-E-B cases show
These Texas appeals show where fall cases against H-E-B have broken down.
| Case | What happened | Result |
|---|---|---|
| H.E. Butt Grocery Co. v. Resendez (Tex. 1999) | A shopper fell near grape displays, one holding a sampling bowl. The floor had a non-skid surface, mats surrounded the tables and warning cones were nearby. | The Texas Supreme Court reversed her jury verdict, holding that a sampling display, without more, is not evidence of an unreasonably dangerous condition. |
| Coward v. H.E.B., Inc. (Tex. App. 2014) | In a Harris County case, a shopper slipped in water and then saw water dripping from the ceiling and shelving. The manager knew it was raining and that the roof had leaked before. | Summary judgment for H-E-B affirmed. Knowing that rain had caused earlier roof leaks was not knowledge of the water in that aisle. |
| Saenz v. HEB Grocery Co. (Tex. App. 2014) | The shopper’s adult son, who arrived after the fall, swore the puddle had been there “for quite some time.” | Affirmed for H-E-B. The court called his statement speculative and conclusory, and the puddle’s size and dirt did not show how long it was there. |
| Brown v. HEB Grocery Co. (Tex. App. 2017) | A shopper slipped on spilled milk. Her affidavit was filed less than seven days before the hearing and was struck. | Affirmed for H-E-B. The record had no evidence of how long the milk was on the floor. |
| Lopez v. HEB Grocery Co. (Tex. App. 2021) | In a Cameron County case, a shopper stepped in “dirty” liquid and pointed to answers suggesting the floor was last cleaned more than an hour earlier. | Affirmed for H-E-B. Dirt in the liquid was no evidence of timing, and nothing showed an employee was near it. |
Brown carries a lesson apart from the spill. Deadlines inside a lawsuit matter too, and evidence filed late can be thrown out before anyone weighs it.
What the 2026 Peterson decision adds
In H-E-B, LP v. Peterson, decided April 10, 2026, the shopper pointed to H-E-B’s practice of heightened inspections during rainstorms. The Texas Supreme Court said nothing about that protocol showed how long the puddle existed, and it noted that a premises owner’s internal policy does not subject it to a higher standard of care. So proof that H-E-B broke its own rule helps only if it also shows when the hazard appeared.
The case also shows how long these fights can run. It went to the court of appeals twice, the first time in 2020, before the Supreme Court reinstated summary judgment for H-E-B.
How to report a fall and what to ask for
Tell the store manager right away and ask for an incident report number. H-E-B’s online contact form has an “In-store shopping” topic, the company says it typically responds within 48 hours, and it lists its corporate office at 646 S. Flores St., San Antonio, TX 78204 (H-E-B Contact Us). A written preservation request sent there, or through your lawyer, should ask H-E-B to keep:
- Time-stamped video of the spot from well before the fall, since timing is the whole case in Texas
- Floor walk or inspection records for that area, including any rain or weather checks that day
- Roof leak or maintenance reports for that part of the store if water came from above
- The names of employees who worked or walked that aisle in the hour before
If you fell on a city sidewalk outside, a notice deadline of six months or less may apply (CPRC 101.101).
What this means for your case
Against H-E-B, the question that decides most cases is when the hazard first appeared. Your own photos help show what it was; the store’s video and logs are usually the only way to show how long it was there, so the preservation request is urgent. Read what to do after a slip and fall, our guide to slip and fall evidence and our page on a slip and fall with no witnesses. Confirm your dates with the slip and fall deadline page, and weigh whether a slip and fall is worth suing over. Our Texas store fall page covers national chains in Texas. More answers are in our injury FAQs.
Common questions
Is H-E-B a public company?
No. H-E-B says it is recognized as the largest privately held employer in Texas, and it is based in San Antonio.
Does a fall at Central Market or Joe V's count as an H-E-B case?
H-E-B says it operates both chains, so the same company and the same Texas rules are likely involved. Your lawyer will confirm the exact entity.
Can my friend's testimony prove how long the spill was there?
Only if the friend saw it before the fall. In Saenz, a son who arrived afterward could not say how long the puddle had been there, and the court disregarded his statement.
Does it help that it was raining that day?
Rain may explain where water came from, but in the H-E-B cases above it did not prove how long the water was on the floor.
How long do I have to sue H-E-B?
Generally two years from the fall under CPRC 16.003. Waiting makes the video harder to get long before that deadline arrives. Beverly Law offers a free case review in English or Spanish at (310) 552-6959. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
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Related pages
Sources
- H-E-B Newsroom, H-E-B opens newest DFW-area store in Murphy (July 22, 2026) (newsroom.heb.com)
- H-E-B Newsroom, H-E-B opens newest store in Kerrville (company history, Nov. 2020) (newsroom.heb.com)
- H-E-B, Contact Us (topics, 48-hour response, corporate office address) (heb.com)
- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. v. Resendez, 988 S.W.2d 218 (Tex. 1999) (courtlistener.com)
- Coward v. H.E.B., Inc., No. 01-13-00773-CV (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] July 15, 2014) (courtlistener.com)
- Saenz v. HEB Grocery Co., No. 13-13-00696-CV (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi–Edinburg Aug. 14, 2014) (courtlistener.com)
- Brown v. HEB Grocery Co., No. 14-15-00271-CV (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] Jan. 24, 2017) (law.justia.com)
- Lopez v. HEB Grocery Co., No. 13-19-00611-CV (Tex. App.-Corpus Christi–Edinburg Apr. 22, 2021) (law.justia.com)
- H-E-B, LP v. Peterson, No. 24-0310 (Tex. Apr. 10, 2026) (txcourts.gov)
- Keetch v. Kroger Co., 845 S.W.2d 262 (Tex. 1992) (courtlistener.com)
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Reece, 81 S.W.3d 812 (Tex. 2002) (courtlistener.com)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 33.001 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.