Latest Texas Headlines

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

5 Sentenced in Va. for $100M Fraud Scheme

Jul 25 2011 // Five men who pleaded guilty in a $100 million fraud scheme that claimed about 800 victims nationwide were sentenced Friday to federal prison terms ranging from three years to more than 15 years. The five included the...

South Carolina Budget Chief, Former Commissioner Heads to Texas

Jul 22 2011 // The director of the South Carolina agency that oversees much of state government operations has resigned, six months after Gov. Nikki Haley picked her for the job, to take a role in government in her home state of...

Texas Gov. Signs Windstorm Bill, Measure Affecting Surplus Lines

Jul 21 2011 // Legislative measures passed during the special session of the 82nd Legislature that impact the insurance industry in Texas have been signed by the governor. On July 19, Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill...

Zurich North America Commercial Offers Alternative to Texas Nonsubscribers

Jul 21 2011 // Property and casualty insurance Zurich announced its North America Commercial’s Accident & Health unit is now providing an alternative to Texas workers’ compensation coverage for employers who opt out of...

Kitzman Appointed as Next Texas Insurance Commissioner

Jul 20 2011 // Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced the appointment of Eleanor Kitzman of Austin as Texas Insurance Commissioner, effective Aug. 15, 2011, for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2013. She will replace Mike Geeslin, who announced earlier...

Texas Troopers: Special Enforcement Gets Drunk Drivers Off Roads

Jul 20 2011 // Texas Highway Patrol troopers arrested 1,406 intoxicated drivers during a special July 4 holiday enforcement program from June 27 through July 6 across the state. Of the 1406 arrests, 575 were made by troopers whose...

Morris Honored with Insurance Council of Texas Raymond Mauk Award

Jul 18 2011 // Dianne Morris, former president of the Association Casualty Insurance Co., was presented with the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award on July 15 at the Insurance Council of Texas’ 19th Annual Mid-Year Property and Casualty...

Texas PEO Law Standardizes Rules for Releasing Workers’ Comp Loss Information

Jul 18 2011 // A new Texas law backed by agents groups requires professional employer organizations (PEOs) and staff leasing firms to provide workers’ comp loss information to employer clients in a timely manner. The Independent...

Business Moves

Jul 18 2011 // Hub International, Roy Agency Chicago-based Hub International Limited (Hub) has acquired the Roy Agency Inc. (Roy), an insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Plano, Texas. The Roy team will become part of Hub...

Farmers Insurance to Pay $1.5M in Labor Settlement

Jul 18 2011 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Inc. has agreed to pay $1.52 million in overtime back wages to 3,459 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that disclosed...

Farmers Insurance to Pay $1.5M in Labor Settlement

Jul 18 2011 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Inc. has agreed to pay $1.52 million in overtime back wages to 3,459 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that disclosed...

TWIA Legislation Includes Pre-Event Bonds; Allows for Double Damages in Lawsuits

Jul 18 2011 // In the final hours of the 2011 Special Session the Texas Legislature worked out a compromise on reforms to the state’s insurance provider of last resort for wind and hail for properties along the Texas coast. The...

People

Jul 18 2011 // Bob Shepard, board chairman of Shepard Walton King Insurance Group in Harlingen, was installed as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas for 2011-2012 during the association’s annual business meeting...

Ron Patterson Agency Joins SBMP Agency Network

Jul 15 2011 // Ron Patterson Insurance Agency Inc., located in Richardson, Texas, has joined SBMP Inc., a network of independent insurance agencies located primarily in central and west Texas. SBMP has 18 members located in 24 cities in...

Domino’s Sued After Texas Deliveryman’s Death

Jul 15 2011 // Domino’s is being sued by the widow of a Texas employee who died a year after being robbed and beaten with a baseball bat by teens who lured the deliveryman to a vacant house. The lawsuit alleges the company was...

Texas Enforcements for May Include Nearly $218K in Fines, Restitution

Jul 12 2011 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during May 2011 include six license revocations, two license denials and fines and restitution totaling $217,756. An order imposing...

Texas Independent Agents Name Tower ACSR of the Year

Jul 12 2011 // Carol Tower of the Malakoff Insurance Agency was named the ACSR of the Year. Tower, an ACSR specializing in personal lines, has been licensed for 19 years and has served as the president of the Federation of Insurance...

Texas Crash Victim Anti-Solicitation Bill Finally Becomes Law

Jul 11 2011 // Legislation that makes it a crime for lawyers or health professionals to solicit crash victims within the first 30 days of an accident has finally become law in Texas. House Bill 148 by Rep. Todd Smith of Euless was...

Frierson Named Young Agent of the Year by Texas Independent Agents

Jul 11 2011 // Matt Frierson, a partner at Pierson and Fendley Insurance Agency in Paris, Texas, was named the André P. Juneau Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. Frierson has served on both the young...

Farmers Insurance to Pay $1.5M in Labor Settlement

Jul 8 2011 // Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Inc. has agreed to pay $1.52 million in overtime back wages to 3,459 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that disclosed...