Latest Texas Headlines

Insurance Covers Only $100M of Ike Damage to Hospital, Med School

Nov 14 2008 // Citing $710 million in losses from Hurricane Ike, University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston intends to lay off about 3,800 workers because the teaching hospital is running out of money. Officials have said insurance...

Environmentalists Praise By-the-Mile Auto Insurance Option in Texas

Nov 13 2008 // Environmental Defense Fund is praising MileMeter for recently launching a pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) insurance program in Texas that will reward low-mileage drivers with lower premiums than traditional, flat-rate...

Texas House Panel Studies Response to Hurricane Ike

Nov 12 2008 // Hurricane Ike left thousands homeless, millions without power and destroyed houses and businesses along the Texas Gulf Coast. But it also gave state and local governments a chance to learn from their mistakes during a...

Group Rates States on Consumer Insurance Information on Web

Nov 11 2008 // A national consumer group says state insurance departments vary in the quality of the information they provide consumers online, with only six states doing an excellent job. State insurance department websites in 6 states...

Texas Enforcement Actions for Sept. 2008 Include $160K in Fines

Nov 11 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance enforcement actions taken by Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during September include ten license revocations, two license denials and fines and restitution totaling...

Texas Raises Work Comp Payroll Requirement for Seasonal Workers

Nov 11 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that the adjusted annual payroll requirement of an employer for the coverage of seasonal workers has increased to $48,833 from...

Farmers Plans to Raise Rates in Texas

Nov 10 2008 // Farmers Insurance has filed for an average rate increase of 9.9 percent for homeowners insurance policies in Texas effective in February, state and company officials said. The Texas Department of Insurance says it is...

Rainey Elected to Lead Texas Surplus Lines Association

Nov 10 2008 // The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. elected new officers and directors at its 52nd annual meeting held Nov. 3, 2008, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. The new officers are: President Paul Rainey, president...

Federation of Insurance Women of Texas Elects New Officers

Nov 6 2008 // The Federation of Insurance Women of Texas (FIWT), celebrating 65 years in the insurance industry of Texas, installed new officers at its recent annual convention. Susan Tyner, with Pulley Insurance, was elected president....

Austin Mulls Possible Text Messaging Ban

Nov 5 2008 // A possible ban on text messaging while driving is being explored by city officials in Austin, Texas, according to a newspaper report. The city of Austin’s public safety task force approved a resolution Nov. 3 that...

Texan Sentenced in Workers’ Comp Fraud Case

Nov 5 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that Felix Prado of Falfurrias, Texas, pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. A Travis County district court sentenced Prado to 30 days in the Travis...

Study Calls for Sweeping Changes at Texas Department of Public Safety

Nov 3 2008 // Texas’ top law enforcement agency, which has been criticized for numerous problems including staffing levels when the governor’s mansion was set on fire, is in need of a major overaul, according to a report...

Nov 2 2008 // Tom Hughston, executive vice president of North Texas-based Roach Howard Smith & Barton (RHSB), has been named to the board of directors of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, a trade association...

Declarations

Nov 2 2008 // Huge Problem “Auto theft along the Texas/Mexico border is a huge problem and we welcome any crime prevention program that could help put a stop to this illegal activity.” —Charles Caldwell, interim director...

Texas Officials Blast Feds; Regulators Warn Insurers

Nov 2 2008 // Texas lawmakers have praised the state’s response to Hurricane Ike but are not quite so complimentary of the performance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of the storm that made landfall in...

Three’s a Crowd

Nov 2 2008 // Recent Insurance Decisions of the Texas Supreme Court On Aug. 29, 2008, the Texas Supreme Court continued its recent foray into insurance law by issuing three important insurance coverage decisions. Each of these decisions...

New York Closes Receivership of Insolvent Texas Insurer

Nov 2 2008 // The New York Liquidation Bureau said it has completed all necessary steps to bring to a close the ancillary receivership in New York of American Eagle Insurance Company, a Texas-based property/casualty firm declared...

New Markets

Nov 2 2008 // The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com. Eliminate Forced Placed Coverage Market...

Texas Teen Dies in Seat Belt Accident

Oct 31 2008 // Houston police say a 13-year-old boy apparently pretending to be strangled by a seat belt died when he got tangled in the safety device. Police spokesman Victor Senties on Oct. 28 said the child’s death appears to...

Texas Nonfatal Workplace Injury/Illness Rate at 5-Year Low in 2007

Oct 29 2008 // A total of 252,784 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry workplaces in Texas during 2007, the Texas Department of Insurance reported. The resulting rate of 3.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time...