Latest Texas Headlines

2006:a big year for P&C buyers and sellers of all shapes and sizes

Dec 24 2006 // JANUARY Hallmark Acquires Fort Worth, Texas-based Hallmark Financial Services Inc. has completed its acquisition of Aerospace Holdings LLC, which markets general aviation insurance products. Hallmark underwrites...

NFIB Groups Earn Texas Mutual Dividends

Dec 22 2006 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced a $302,815 dividend to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) workers’ compensation purchasing group for the construction industry. The company also announced...

Texas AG Cracks Down on Chemical Plants for Alleged Air Pollution

Dec 21 2006 // Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office announced that Abbott has taken legal action against four Houston-area chemical plants for violating Texas environmental laws. The case is the first in Texas arising out of...

Employers Opens Offices in Arizona, Texas

Dec 21 2006 // Employers, a small business insurance specialist, has opened two new offices: one in Phoenix and the other in Irving, Texas. In Arizona, Employers will offer insurance through Employers Compensation Insurance Co., which...

Houston Nurse Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud

Dec 20 2006 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that a Houston nurse has pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The Travis County 299th Judicial District Court sentenced Brenda Hernandez to five years...

Insurer for Orthodox Church in Texas Settles Abuse Claim

Dec 18 2006 // The insurance company for the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia has settled a claim by a man who says he was abused as a teenager by monks at a monastery in Blanco, Texas. The settlement agreement, which included a...

Ohio State Automobile Mutual to Purchase Beacon Insurance Group

Dec 18 2006 // Columbus, Ohio-based State Automobile Mutual Insurance Co. announced today that, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, it has agreed to acquire the Beacon Insurance Group, headquartered in Wichita Falls, Texas. Closing is...

Seven Indicted for Workers’ Compensation Fraud in Texas

Dec 15 2006 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that seven individuals were indicted, in separate cases, in Travis County on workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The individuals allegedly collected a combined $31,358...

Texas Work Comp Division Revises Training, Scheduling for Doctors

Dec 14 2006 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation announced it has approved new training for designated doctors in the Texas workers’ compensation system while improving the scheduling of...

Kilburn, Reynolds Promoted at PWIB Texas

Dec 13 2006 // Dallas-based PWIB Texas recently announced the promotions of Brett Kilburn and Travis Reynolds. Kilburn, who has been with PWIB Texas since 2004, was named vice president. She previously served as assistant vice president....

Texas Agent Accused of Issuing Bogus Insurance Certificates in La.

Dec 12 2006 // The Louisiana Department of Insurance announced that a Texas insurance agent has been told to cease and desist engaging in allegedly fraudulent insurance activities in Louisiana where he is not a licensed agent. The...

Texas Agents and Empower Insurance Respond to Christmas Wishes

Dec 12 2006 // Texas-based auto insurance provider Empower Insurance Group announced it is teaming up with numerous independent insurance agents across the state to reach out to families in need this holiday season through the Empower...

Call to Texas Arson Hotline Nails Juveniles

Dec 12 2006 // A call into the Texas Arson Hotline resulted in four juveniles being cited for criminal mischief in Marfa, the Texas Advisory Council on Arson reported. The four allegedly participated in setting a bag of trash on fire on...

New Markets

Dec 11 2006 // Coastal Property — Texas Nuts & Bolts: Western Security Surplus has increased capacity to write coastal property coverage in Texas, including wind and hail, Tier 1 and 2 counties. The property coverage is...

People and Places

Dec 11 2006 // The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. announced the election of the following officers and directors: President Len Kaplan, executive vice president and CFO, Delta General Agency, Houston; Vice President Lana Parks,...

Texas commissioner approves TWIA rate hike

Dec 11 2006 // Although not as substantial as those sought by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Associa-tion, Texas Insurance Commis-sioner Mike Geeslin signed an order on Nov. 15 giving TWIA rate hikes of 3.7 percent for commercial property...

Zurich agrees to terms to close multi-state bid-rigging probe

Dec 11 2006 // In separate but related move, N.Y., Conn., Ill. tell four insurers contingent commissions no longer an option Ten states, led by Texas and its Attorney General Greg Abbott, have come to terms with Zurich American, closing...

News Currents

Dec 10 2006 // Texas commissioner approves TWIA rate hike Although not as substantial as those sought by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Associa-tion, Texas Insurance Commis-sioner Mike Geeslin signed an order on Nov. 15 giving TWIA rate...

Dec 10 2006 // People The Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. announced the election of the following officers and directors: President Len Kaplan, executive vice president and CFO, Delta General Agency, Houston; Vice President Lana...

8 Texas commissioner allows windstorm rate hike

Dec 10 2006 // Although welcome, some think it’s not enough 9 Louisiana’s special session Despite protests, governor calls for 10-day session 10 Judge says water may be covered in New Orleans canal case Ambiguities in...