Latest Texas Headlines

Court Orders Employer to Pay $100K to Texas Mutual

Oct 28 2010 // A Travis County district court has sentenced Joffrey Majors of Parker, Texas on workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The court sentenced Majors to four years’ deferred adjudication and ordered him to...

Texas Lawmaker Presses on with TWIA Settlement Information Request

Oct 27 2010 // Texas State Rep. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) has filed a mandamus petition in the 1st Court of Appeals in Houston seeking relief from a temporary stay of his request for information concerning a $189 million settlement...

Texas Credit Repair Firms Charged with Unlawful, Deceptive Practices

Oct 25 2010 // Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has charged two El Paso companies with unlawfully operating unlicensed credit repair and credit restoration services. Max Credit of El Paso – which is also known as Max Credit...

Texas Workers’ Comp Sept. Enforcements Bring Nearly $268K in Fines

Oct 22 2010 // The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation in September issued nearly $268,000 in fines in disciplinary actions. The orders issued by Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Rod Bordelon...

Insurer Challenges Jackson Doctor’s Legal Bills in Texas Court

Oct 22 2010 // An insurer for the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death has asked a judge to rule that it is not responsible for the physician’s legal bills in two high-profile court cases and fights to retain his medical...

Texas Consumer Group: Voters Favor Homeowners Insurance Reform

Oct 20 2010 // The Austin-based consumer advocacy group, Texas Watch Foundation, says a statewide public opinion survey revealed that an average of 74 percent of voters are likely to vote for candidates who favor real home insurance...

In Developing Producers, a Little Help From One’s Friends Goes a Long Way

Oct 18 2010 // As John Lennon and Paul McCartney could tell you, sometimes you just need a little help from your friends. And in the insurance agency business – where building relationships are key to success – that friend...

People

Oct 18 2010 // Texas-based Roach Howard Smith & Barton (RHSB) announced that Jan Holcombe joined the company as vice president of personal client services. Holcombe brings more than 20 years of experience as an insurance counseling...

Oct 18 2010 // $832,708 Enforcement actions taken by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during August 2010 included 14 license revocations, four license denials and fines and restitution totaling $832,708. Among...

Business Moves

Oct 18 2010 // IMS, London American Risk Specialists IMS Insurance Market Solutions acquired Houston-based London American Risk Specialists Inc. effective Sept. 1, 2010. The combined entity will become IMS/London American and will be one...

Texas Agents Join Forces to Launch Health Insurance Coalition

Oct 15 2010 // Three insurance producer groups have joined forces to form the Texas Coalition of Health Insurance Agents to monitor, respond to and communicate on the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care...

Disaster Housing Program Extended in Texas, Louisiana

Oct 15 2010 // Louisiana and Texas families displaced by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav now have until March 31 to transition to permanent housing. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Craig Fugate, administrator of...

Kilkenny Joins IIAT as Director of Agency Management Resources

Oct 14 2010 // The Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) and its Trusted Choice agencies announce that Todd Kilkenny has joined the association as director of agency management resources. Kilkenny will be responsible for...

Clock is Ticking on Surplus Lines Tax Reform

Oct 12 2010 // The insurance industry called the passage of the Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act on July 21, 2010, a “big win” thanks to provisions in the massive reform bill that would modernize regulation...

Lawsuit Serves as Notice in Claim Against Texas County

Oct 8 2010 // The Texas Supreme Court has determined that a lawsuit filed against a “governmental unit” within six months of an incident can be regarded as sufficient notice under the Texas Tort Claims Act. The high...

Progressive Expanding in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Texas

Oct 6 2010 // Progressive Insurance recently announced plans to add hundreds of new jobs in Colorado, Florida, Ohio and Texas by the end of January 2011. The additions include sales, service and claims positions. Progressive said it...

New Insurance & Risk Advisor Joins Texas Associates Team

Oct 6 2010 // Texas Associates Insurors has added Dave Perez as its newest insurance and risk advisor. As a student of Texas A&M University, on Sept. 11, 2001, Perez committed to serving in the United States Air Force and was...

Texas Agency’s iPhone App Lets Customers Reach Agent on Their Terms

Oct 4 2010 // Who says insurance agents aren’t cool? A Texas-based independent insurance agency has proven they know what’s up with a new iPhone application that gives their customers access to important account information...

Judge Keeps TWIA Ike Settlement Information Private for Now

Oct 4 2010 // Galveston County Judge Susan Criss on Sept. 27 put on hold a Texas state representative’s request for information from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association regarding a $189 million settlement in a class action...

People

Oct 4 2010 // Watkins Insurance Group, one of the largest full-service, locally owned independent insurance agencies in central Texas, added agent Andy Webb to its sales team. Webb began his career in the insurance industry in March...