Family Sues HEB After 3-year-old Girl Loses Four Fingers in Escalator; Emergency Switch 'Inoperable'

The parents of a 3-year-old girl who lost four fingers in a Houston-area H-E-B store escalator accident are suing the grocery store giant along with the escalator manufacturer.

The lawsuit accuses H-E-B and TK Elevator Corporation of negligence and gross negligence and seeks more than $1 million for the child's injuries, emotional distress, and ongoing medical needs.

According to local media reports, the incident happened on March 30 when the family visited the H-E-B in Bellaire, located in the Houston metro area. As the family was leaving the store, the child allegedly "stumbled and sat on the escalator step to catch her balance."

The girl's hand became trapped in a gap between the escalator steps and the skirt. Her parents tried to free her hand and stop the escalator, but, according to the lawsuit, the escalator's safety switches were "inoperable."

"To her parents' horror, [the girl] could not get her hand out of the moving escalator as she continued toward the bottom despite her parents' desperate attempts to remove her hand," the lawsuit says.

The child's fingers were "torn off" once the escalator reached the bottom, which the parents say, was a traumatic experience for the whole family. According to the lawsuit, the injured hand was her dominant hand.

The family is being represented by attorney Ben Crump, who stated in a press release, "This was a completely preventable incident caused by the defendants' failure to maintain and monitor the escalator."

Law&Crime reached out to H-E-B, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:

"At H-E-B, we are deeply committed to our customers and their safety," the statement reads. "This was an incredibly unfortunate accident that we are taking seriously. Although, based on our current investigation of this matter, the escalator was serviced by a third-party company, we will do our best to support the family through this difficult time."

The news organization also reached out to TK Elevator for comment but received no response at the time of publication.