Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Texas Grid Operator to Argue It Is Immune from Winter Storm Lawsuits
Apr 12 2021 // The Electric Reliability Council of Texas will argue that it has governmental immunity that protects it from the at least 35 lawsuits that have been filed against the operator after February’s disastrous winter storm...
Texas Surplus Lines Premiums Reach $877.51M in March
Apr 12 2021 // More than $877 million in surplus lines premium was recorded in Texas in March, the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) reports. SLTX says the $877.51 million in premium for March brings Texas’ year-to-date...
Distracted Driving a Major Problem in Texas, Transportation Officials Say
Apr 9 2021 // Distracted driving comes in second for the cause of traffic crashes in Texas, state transportation officials say. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reports that one in five traffic crashes are caused by cell...
Texas House Passes Active Shooter Alert Bill
Apr 8 2021 // The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would create an Active Shooter Alert System for the state. House Bill 103 passed by a vote of 146-0. The bill’s author, State Rep. Brooks Landgraf (Odessa),...
Massive Fire Breaks Out at Texas Chemical Facility
Apr 8 2021 // A huge industrial fire broke out at a chemical facility in Channelview, Texas, around 4 p.m. on April 7, Harris County officials said. A shelter in place order was issued for neighborhoods near the K-Solve Chemicals plant...
7 Officers Fired Following Death of Black Jail Inmate in Texas
Apr 7 2021 // Seven officers involved in the in-custody death of a Black jail inmate in Texas whose family members say may have been suffering a mental health crisis have been fired, a sheriff said. The detention officers violated...
Texas OKs NCCI’s Workers’ Comp Loss Cost Filing Effective July 1
Apr 6 2021 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance’s (NCCI’s) advisory loss cost filing for Texas with an effective date of July 1, 2021, has been accepted by state insurance regulators. The Texas Department of...
Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuits Target of Texas Legislation
Apr 5 2021 // A pair of companion bills have been introduced in the Texas House and Senate that proponents say are aimed at providing consistency and uniformity in civil actions involving commercial vehicle accidents. Opponents, on the...
Report: Texas Work Comp Insurers See More than 44K COVID-19 Claims by Mid-February
Apr 1 2021 // An updated report on workers’ compensation claims in Texas related to COVID-19 shows that as of Feb, 14, 2021, insurance carriers reported more than 44,000 COVID-19 claims and 200 fatalities to the state’s...
Final Defendants Sentenced in Massive Texas Work Comp/Healthcare Fraud Case
Mar 31 2021 // The remaining defendants in a North Texas medical center healthcare and workers’ compensation fraud scheme have been sentenced, the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation reported It’s the final chapter...
Damaged Homes, Injuries, 1 Death, in East Texas Tornado
Mar 30 2021 // One person was killed after severe weather, including a tornado, caused damage in several communities in East Texas, authorities said. Widespread destruction across Panola County was reported, including damaged homes and...
Texas Attorneys Face Organized Crime, Workers’ Comp Fraud Charges
Mar 30 2021 // Three attorneys and two law firms in Texas have been indicted on organized crime and other charges in relation to alleged workers’ compensation fraud. The indictments stem from Texas Division of Workers’...
Texas Legislation Would Overhaul State’s Electricity Market, Require Weatherization
Mar 30 2021 // The Texas Senate has unanimously approved a sweeping bill that would overhaul the state’s electricity industry and infrastructure, including mandating that power plants prepare for extreme weather and outlawing risky...
Study: Nearly 70% of ERCOT Customers Lost Power During Texas Winter Storm
Mar 29 2021 // Last month’s disastrous and deadly winter storm impacted most Texans served by the state’s main power grid, with almost 70% of those people losing power in subfreezing temperatures and almost half experiencing...
OSHA Sues Texas Hotel Operator for Whistleblower Law, Other Violations
Mar 29 2021 // Federal officials have sued the operator of a hotel in Waller, Texas, after it fired an employee who sought medical help after being exposed to carbon monoxide and reported the incident. According to U.S. Department of...
Judge: Austin Can Require Masks Despite Lifting of Texas’ Statewide Mandate
Mar 29 2021 // A Texas judge is allowing the City of Austin to continue to require face coverings in local businesses weeks after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ended a statewide mask mandate and other COVID-19 safety measures. The ruling...
South Central People Moves: Texas’ BSBD Group Adds Williamson as VP
Mar 26 2021 // Dallas-based independent retail brokerage firm, Boyd, Shackelford, Barnett & Dixon (BSBD Group). has hired Lad Williamson as vice president of Employee Benefits. Williamson will help oversee the employee benefits...
When Lights Go Out as They Did in Texas, Insurance Coverage Could Turn On
Mar 26 2021 // The power was still off in Texas last month when rating agencies began predicting that the weather-related catastrophe would cause unprecedented losses for insurance companies. On February 19, rating agency A.M. Best...
AM Best Credit Ratings Assigned to Texas’ Upland Specialty Insurance
Mar 25 2021 // AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Upland Specialty Insurance Co. (Upland Specialty) in Dallas. The outlook assigned to these...
Battle Brews over Texas Bills Aimed at Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuits
Mar 25 2021 // A battle is brewing between trucking and insurance industry interests and trial lawyers in Texas over a pair of companion bills introduced in the Texas House and Senate that proponents say are aimed at providing...
