By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Hit by a car at a 7-Eleven?
Leave your name and phone. We call back today, in English or Spanish. The consultation is free and confidential.
Free consultation · English y Español · No fees or costs unless we win
Beverly Law is not affiliated with 7-Eleven, Inc., Speedway or Stripes.
How often cars crash into 7-Eleven stores
Most 7-Eleven stores have nose-in parking a few feet from the glass. When a driver presses the gas instead of the brake, the car is inside the store in a second.
- CBS Chicago reported that over a 15-year period, 6,253 cars crashed into 7-Eleven storefronts in the U.S. (CBS News Chicago).
- The Storefront Safety Council, which tracks these crashes, estimates more than 100 storefront crashes a day nationwide, with up to 16,000 people injured and 2,600 killed each year (Storefront Safety Council).
- A 2015 Claims Journal report on the group’s data said 21% of storefront crashes were at convenience stores and that up to 40% were caused by pedal error (Claims Journal).
Numbers like these are why the store’s duty is a live question: a hazard that repeats this often is a hazard the company knows about. Our own accident news desk covers these crashes too, such as this Simi Valley crash at a 7-Eleven on Erringer Road.
The $91 million Bensenville settlement
On September 20, 2017, a driver pulling into a space in front of a 7-Eleven in Bensenville, Illinois, hit the gas instead of the brake. The car jumped the curb and pinned a customer against the storefront. Both of his legs were amputated above the knee. A Cook County judge approved a $91 million settlement in February 2023, on the day the trial was set to start (Chicago Sun-Times; NBC Chicago).
The Storefront Safety Council wrote after the settlement that the case focused attention on how often 7-Eleven stores had been hit, including stores that had been struck more than once (Storefront Safety Council).
Free 7-Eleven injury case review
Tell us what happened. We will tell you plainly whether there is a case and what to do next. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Who pays after a storefront crash
The driver. The driver’s liability insurance is the first source. For an amputation, a crushed pelvis or a brain injury, the minimum limits drivers carry are nowhere near enough.
Your own auto policy. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own car policy can apply even if you were on foot in the store. Check your declarations page.
The store and 7-Eleven, Inc. The claim is that they knew cars kept hitting storefronts, knew the parking faced the doors, and did not install bollards, planters or other barriers that cost little next to the harm. Under California’s ordinary-care rule, everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care in managing their property (Civ. Code § 1714). Who controls the lot and the building design, the franchisee, 7-Eleven, Inc. or a landlord, decides who is named.
A public agency. If a city or county vehicle drove into the store in California, a written claim must be presented to the agency within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2).
Evidence to get right away
- The police report and the driver’s name, license and insurance.
- The store’s inside and outside video, requested in writing to the store and to 7-Eleven, Inc.
- Photos of the parking layout, the curb height, and whether there were any posts or barriers.
- Any history of earlier crashes at the same store. News reports, police calls and repair records can show the store had been hit before.
- Your medical records from the first day on.
Deadlines and your share of fault
| State | Deadline to sue | Your own share of fault | Store’s notice of a hazard | Crime by a stranger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2 years (CCP § 335.1) | Reduces the award, never bars it (Li v. Yellow Cab) | Actual or constructive notice; a missed inspection can support an inference of notice (Ortega v. Kmart) | Sliding scale: guards need high foreseeability, simple steps are owed when a threat is imminent (Ann M.; Delgado) |
| Texas | 2 years (CPRC § 16.003) | Barred if you are more than 50% responsible (CPRC § 33.001) | Proof of how long the hazard was there is usually required (Wal-Mart v. Reece) | Five factors: proximity, recency, frequency, similarity and publicity of prior crimes (Timberwalk) |
| Washington | 3 years (RCW 4.16.080(2)) | Reduces the award, never bars it (RCW 4.22.005) | No notice needed when the way the store operates makes the hazard foreseeable (Pimentel; Johnson, 2021) | Duty against imminent harm and reasonably foreseeable crime, decided in a case against a Tacoma 7-Eleven (Nivens) |
Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.
Related pages
- 7-Eleven injury lawyer
- 7-Eleven robbery and shooting lawsuits
- 7-Eleven slip and fall lawsuits
- 7-Eleven parking lot and gas pump injuries
- 7-Eleven burn injury lawsuits
Common questions
Can I sue 7-Eleven if a car crashed into the store and hit me?
You can sue the driver in every case. You can also sue the store and 7-Eleven, Inc. if the evidence shows they knew cars were likely to jump the curb at that store and did not put up reasonable barriers. That is the theory in the Bensenville case that settled for $91 million in 2023.
The driver only has minimum insurance. What now?
Look at your own auto policy for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which can apply even when you were not in a car. A claim against the store and 7-Eleven, Inc. is often the only source large enough for a serious injury.
How long do I have to file?
Two years in California and Texas, three years in Washington. Six months for a claim against a California public agency if a government vehicle was involved.
What if the driver had a medical emergency?
The driver may have a defense, but the store’s claim does not depend on why the car moved. The question for the store is whether a barrier would have stopped it.
Ask a question
Not ready to call? Write your question and someone on our team will answer. No cost, no commitment.
7-Eleven injury lawyer — Beverly Law
If you were hurt at a 7-Eleven, Speedway or Stripes in California, Texas or Washington, talk to an injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Sources
- CBS News Chicago (Feb. 7, 2023)
- Storefront Safety Council statistics
- Storefront Safety Council on the 7-Eleven settlement
- Claims Journal (July 17, 2015)
- Chicago Sun-Times (Feb. 8, 2023)
- NBC Chicago
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1714
- Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001
- RCW 4.16.080
- RCW 4.22.005
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 6, 2026.