Latest Texas Headlines

All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

MHBT Welcomes New VPs

Aug 26 2005 // Dallas-based McQueary Henry Bowles Troy L.L.P. (MHBT), one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerages in the nation, announced the recent appointments of Carla Paschal and Ann Forkner as vice presidents of...

Occupational Fatalities Decreased in Texas in 2004

Aug 26 2005 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission reported that in 2004, Texas recorded the second lowest number of occupational fatalities since data collection began in 1990. A total of 440 fatal occupational injuries...

Texas Workers’ Comp Transition Team Seeks Comment on Rule Development Priorities

Aug 25 2005 // The Texas Department of Insurance/Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission Transition Team announced it is soliciting comments on the development of HB 7 Rule Priority Options, including the proper sequencing of rule...

TBIC Earns Rating of A

Aug 25 2005 // Texas Builders Insurance Company has earned a Financial Stability Rating (FSR) of A, Exceptional from Demotech Inc. This level of Financial Stability Rating is applicable to insurers possessing exceptional ability to...

TDI Outlines Workers’ Comp Enforcement Changes

Aug 23 2005 // Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin released a bulletin summarizing changes in enforcement procedures for the state’s workers’ compensation system that become effective Sept. 1, 2005. House Bill 7 (HB 7)...

Farmers Reports 15% Workers’ Comp Rate Reduction

Aug 23 2005 // The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has announced a 15 percent rate reduction in workers’ compensation rates for its Texas business customers. This latest reduction comes on the heels of an earlier 20 percent...

TWCC Approves COAs to Self-Insure for 13 Companies

Aug 22 2005 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission approved reapplications for Certificates of Authority to Self-Insure from 12 private employers during a public meeting on August 17. The Commission also approved the...

Former Okla. Commissioner Repays Part of Alleged Bribe

Aug 22 2005 // Former Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher has repaid at least $14,000 of an alleged $25,000 bribe, records show. The Associated Press and the Oklahoman reported that Fisher made the first payment, $1,000, Nov....

Texas Election Lawsuit Expanded to Include Insurers

Aug 22 2005 // Several corporate donors, most of them insurance companies, are now defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by three losing Texas Democratic legislative candidates in connection with funding of their opponents’...

ICT TO HOST WORKERS’ COMP CONFERENCE

Aug 22 2005 // The Insurance Council of Texas will host its 2005 Workers’ Compen-sation Conference in Austin on Sept. 7. State Representative Burt Solomons of Carrollton, author of House Bill 7, the broad workers’...

Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Acts and Their Impact on Insurance Coverage: A Comparative Analysis

Aug 22 2005 // In the oilfield, operators typically enter into Master Service Agreements with various contractors who supply services and materials needed in connection with the many and varied oilfield operations. The Master Service...

News Briefs

Aug 22 2005 // Arkansas Conference to Aid Business Leaders The Arkansas Workers Compensa-tion Commission will hold the 18th Annual Workers’ Compen- sation Educational Conference Oct. 12-14 in Little Rock. The AWCC said businesses...

Oilfield Safety a Concern as Energy Demands Rise

Aug 22 2005 // As worldwide oil consumption and demand spirals upward so to does the stress on U.S. oilfield workers to meet those demands, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Permian Basin Chapter in...

Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Acts and Their Impact on Insurance Coverage

Aug 22 2005 // In the oilfield, operators typically enter into Master Service Agreements with various contractors who supply services and materials needed in connection with the many and varied oilfield operations. The MSAs usually...

Drawert Honored with ICT Award as Insurers Celebrate Improvements

Aug 22 2005 // Jim Drawert, vice president and chief underwriting officer for The Republic Group, was presented the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award at the Insurance Council of Texas’ 13th Annual Mid-Year Property and Casualty...

Business Moves

Aug 22 2005 // HCSC, BCBS of Okla. An independent hearing examiner, on behalf of the Oklahoma Insurance Department, approved a request by Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) to merge with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. HCSC,...

Marcus Humphrey

Aug 22 2005 // McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP (MHBT), based in Dallas, recently named Marcus Humphrey vice president and leader of the firm’s Employee Benefits group. As vice president, Humphrey’s primary responsibilities...

Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Acts and Their Impact on Insurance Coverage: A Comparative Analysis

Aug 22 2005 // In the oilfield, operators typically enter into Master Service Agreements with various contractors who supply services and materials needed in connection with the many and varied oilfield operations. The Master Service...

TGI Earns Dividend from Texas Mutual

Aug 19 2005 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced that the Texas Green Industry Workers’ Compensation Purchasing Group (TGI) has earned a purchasing group dividend of more than $72,000. TGI provides a competitive option for...

U.S. CSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendation to BP Global Board in Wake of Accidents at Texas Facilities

Aug 18 2005 // The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, (CSB) recently issued an urgent recommendation calling on the BP Global Executive Board of Directors to commission an independent panel that would review a range of...