Texas generally allows two years to file a personal-injury lawsuit, but your actual deadline depends on when the claim accrued, who the defendants are, and whether an exception applies [S12]. Reporting the injury to the 7-11 store, opening an insurance claim, or negotiating a settlement doesn't usually extend the time to sue.
Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
What is the general rule? | Two years for most personal-injury suits, with exceptions [S12]. |
Does a store report count? | No. A report documents the incident; it doesn't start a lawsuit. |
Do adjuster talks pause the clock? | Not by themselves. Get any agreement about timing in writing and have a lawyer review it. |
Why does the store's owner matter? | The suit has to name the right legal entity, and that takes time to find. |
When should I get advice? | Early, while video, witnesses, and records still exist. |
For the general Texas rules, see the two-year filing deadline in Texas injury cases and what the Texas personal injury statute of limitations is. This guide covers what's different after an injury at a 7-Eleven store. To have your dates checked, request a review of your Texas 7-Eleven injury or call (214) 200-4878.
Why isn't a store incident report a lawsuit?
A report records that you told the store. It doesn't open a court case.
Item | What it does | What it doesn't do |
|---|---|---|
Incident report | Notes the date, place, and what you said. | Start a lawsuit. |
Claim number | Lets the insurer track the file. | Protect the deadline. |
Adjuster emails | Show the claim is being looked at. | Extend the time to sue. |
A clerk's "you have plenty of time" | Nothing legally. | Count as a written agreement. |
If someone tells you that you can wait, save the exact words, the name, and the date, and ask a lawyer what effect they have.
Keep | Example (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
The report | Incident number 2291, taken by the shift lead at 6:05 p.m. |
Messages about timing | An adjuster's email: "No rush, we're still reviewing." |
Your call log | Three calls to the claims line in March. |
Who do you sue when the sign says 7-Eleven?
Often not the name on the sign. The business that ran the store or controlled the spot where you fell may be a different legal entity.
Possible defendant | Why it may matter (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
The franchisee's company | It ran the store under a franchise agreement. |
7-Eleven, Inc. | It may operate some stores directly or control certain equipment or policies. |
The property owner | It kept control of the parking lot. |
A contractor | A floor-cleaning or ice-machine vendor worked there that day. |
Finding the right entity takes records and investigation. A suit filed against the wrong name, or served on the wrong party, can cost time that a two-year window doesn't have to spare.
Read next | What it covers |
|---|---|
Who can be responsible for a 7-Eleven injury | Franchisees, owners, contractors, and the corporate company. |
What has to happen besides filing?
The petition has to be filed against the right defendant and then properly served.
Step | What can go wrong |
|---|---|
Name the defendant | The entity name on the receipt isn't the legal operator. |
File the petition | Filing waits for one more medical record. |
Serve the defendant | A registered-agent address has changed. |
Track the result | A failed service attempt goes unnoticed. |
A filing receipt doesn't settle every service question. Failed attempts and wrong entity names need prompt attention [S16].
Does a child's injury get more time?
Sometimes, but don't assume it. Texas law addresses legal disability, including being under 18, and each related claim needs its own analysis [S12].
Claim | Why it needs separate review |
|---|---|
The child's own injury claim | Minority can affect when the period runs. |
A parent's claim for the child's medical bills | It may not share the child's deadline. |
Evidence at the store | Video and witnesses can disappear long before any longer deadline ends. |
Can you wait until treatment is finished?
Not necessarily. Filing a lawsuit and accepting a final settlement are two separate decisions.
Situation | What to tell your lawyer |
|---|---|
Surgery is scheduled | The date and what the surgeon expects. |
The prognosis is unclear | Who is treating you and when you'll know more. |
You stopped treatment for a while | The dates and the reason. |
You hurt the same area before | When, and who treated it. |
A case plan can protect your right to sue while the medical evidence develops.
A claim under review near the deadline (hypothetical)
An adjuster asks for more records as the two-year anniversary of a fall at a 7-Eleven coffee bar gets close.
Fact | What it means |
|---|---|
The adjuster wants more records | The request alone doesn't extend the deadline. |
Talks feel productive | Progress in talks doesn't file the lawsuit. |
There's a written agreement about timing | A lawyer needs to read exactly what it says. |
There's no written agreement | Plan to file before the deadline. |
For practitioners: write a limitations memo at intake
Record the dates and the plan, then assign responsibility for checking them.
Memo entry | Example (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
Occurrence date and accrual | Fall on April 3; no discovery issue. |
Potential parties | Franchisee LLC, landlord, ice-machine vendor. |
Causes of action and exceptions | Premises liability; no minority issue. |
Internal filing date | Sixty days before the outside date. |
Service plan | Registered agents confirmed from public filings. |
Update the memo when a new entity or theory appears. If representation ends or is declined, tell the client clearly where the deadline stands, and don't assume a referral conversation means another lawyer has taken responsibility.
Common questions
Question | Answer |
|---|---|
Is two years always the answer? | No. It's the general personal-injury rule, and other claims, facts, and exceptions can change it [S12]. |
What if I'm close to the deadline or may already be late? | Get legal advice now and bring the exact dates and messages. Don't decide the case is saved or lost from an article. |
What should I bring to an urgent consultation? | The incident date and store address, the report, claim letters, possible defendants, any earlier lawyer's letters, and court papers. Mention the deadline at the start. |
Request a timely evaluation
Lead with the date of the injury so the firm can check the deadline first.
Bring | Example (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
The incident date and store address | The receipt from the day of the fall. |
The report and claim letters | The incident number and the adjuster's last email. |
Possible defendants | Any company names on letters or the store's front door. |
Aaron Herbert is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and his State Bar of Texas profile lists the credential [S1]. Request a review of your Texas 7-Eleven injury from The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. through InjuryAttorneyOfDallas.com or call (214) 200-4878. Don't assume representation or deadline protection has started until the firm confirms it.
Related reading | What it covers |
|---|---|
All 15 guides in one place. | |
The full claim and lawsuit process. | |
What to do and keep right away. | |
The general Texas deadline explained. | |
Accrual and exceptions in more detail. |
Sources
Ref | Source | What it supports |
|---|---|---|
S1 | State Bar of Texas, Aaron Alan Herbert, Bar No. 24036761 | License and board certification. |
S12 | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 16, including 16.001 and 16.003 | The two-year period and tolling for minors. |
S16 | Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, official compilation, last amended October 1, 2026 | Filing and service procedure. |
ABOUT THE ATTORNEY
Aaron A. Herbert
Founding Attorney
Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law
Aaron founded The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert in 2010 to focus on developing each client's case and seeking its maximum value. For over a decade, he has represented people seriously injured in major accidents and industrial catastrophes, pursuing trial verdicts and settlements while working to reduce the stress of litigation.
Education
- Texas A&M University · B.S., Criminal Justice, 1999
- University of Oklahoma College of Law · J.D., 2002; graduated in the top of his class
Trial experience & approach
Aaron earned numerous jury verdicts at boutique personal injury litigation firms. According to his biography, he spent a year as the top-earning litigation attorney at a firm that frequently appeared in verdict searches as having one of the highest numbers of trial wins in Texas. At another Dallas personal injury firm, he moved from managing pre-litigation attorney to managing litigation attorney over seven years as the firm grew into one of Dallas's largest personal injury firms.
His biography describes a reputation as one of America's most aggressive trial lawyers, with noteworthy recoveries from judges and juries and substantial pretrial settlements. Most of those settlements included confidentiality agreements requested by the defense. Aaron has said the recoveries were justified by the injuries and losses involved, which no amount of money could make someone choose to experience.
His approach combines passion, preparation, persistence and courtroom imagination. He believes a well-supported, engaged and motivated team working cooperatively helps deliver strong representation, with the goal of achieving the best possible result for every client.
Dallas roots, military service & publication
Born and raised in Dallas, Aaron enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and later received an Honorable Discharge. He completed his university and law degrees after his military service and became a lifelong Sooners football fan in law school.
Publication: “Litigating Dog Bite Cases,” Texas Dog Law Seminar, Dallas, 2009.
Professional affiliations & recognition
Professional affiliations and recognition listed in Aaron’s biography:
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Trial experience & approach
Aaron earned numerous jury verdicts at boutique personal injury litigation firms. According to his biography, he spent a year as the top-earning litigation attorney at a firm that frequently appeared in verdict searches as having one of the highest numbers of trial wins in Texas. At another Dallas personal injury firm, he moved from managing pre-litigation attorney to managing litigation attorney over seven years as the firm grew into one of Dallas's largest personal injury firms.
His biography describes a reputation as one of America's most aggressive trial lawyers, with noteworthy recoveries from judges and juries and substantial pretrial settlements. Most of those settlements included confidentiality agreements requested by the defense. Aaron has said the recoveries were justified by the injuries and losses involved, which no amount of money could make someone choose to experience.
His approach combines passion, preparation, persistence and courtroom imagination. He believes a well-supported, engaged and motivated team working cooperatively helps deliver strong representation, with the goal of achieving the best possible result for every client.
Dallas roots, military service & publication
Born and raised in Dallas, Aaron enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school and later received an Honorable Discharge. He completed his university and law degrees after his military service and became a lifelong Sooners football fan in law school.
Publication: “Litigating Dog Bite Cases,” Texas Dog Law Seminar, Dallas, 2009.
Professional affiliations & recognition
Professional affiliations and recognition listed in Aaron’s biography:
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Bar Association
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Trial Lawyers