Latest Texas Headlines

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

Former HCC CEO to Advise Hallmark Financial Services

May 16 2007 // Property/casualty insurer Hallmark Financial Services Inc., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, announced it will employ the consulting services of Stephen L. Way through his company, SLW International LLC. Way is the...

Texas Workers’ Comp Division Improves Online System Forms

May 16 2007 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) announced it has improved the functionality of more than 90 forms posted on the agency Web site,...

Mendez Joins PWIB Texas as Sr. Broker/Underwriter

May 15 2007 // Dallas-based PWIB Texas announced that Holly Mendez has joined the firm as senior broker/underwriter. Mendez formerly was associated with other leading insurance wholesalers, having served in the industry in brokerage and...

Ark. Law Firm Opens Insurance Practice in Austin, Texas

May 15 2007 // Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard P.L.L.C., a law firm with offices in Little Rock and Rogers, Ark., announced it has expanded into Texas with the opening of a third office in Austin. Bill Bingham, former...

Texas Mutual Pays $1.1M Dividend to Texas Construction Group

May 15 2007 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company will return a $1,156,031 dividend to the Texas Construction Association (TCA) purchasing group, the workers’ comp insurer announced. The dividend was based largely on the group’s...

Okla. Doctor says Legislators can go to Texas for Care

May 14 2007 // An Oklahoma surgeon said he will not treat legislators who voted against a bill to curb malpractice insurance rates and suggested they go to Texas for surgical procedures. Unless it is an emergency, Dr. Peter S. Hedberg...

Texas Secretary, Barrel Racer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

May 14 2007 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that a Houston woman pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud-related charges in a Travis County district court. The court sentenced Sheryl K. Reynolds to a 10-year...

Texas Auto, Homeowners Rates Still Falling, Insurer Group Says

May 14 2007 // Data released from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) shows the state’s average automobile and homeowners rates continue to fall, the Insurance Council of Texas reported. The ICT says rates have been steadily...

Coastal Texas Officials Question State’s Ability to Help in Hurricane

May 11 2007 // Texas emergency officials are struggling to assure their local counterparts that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won’t damage the state’s ability to respond to a major hurricane striking the Gulf Coast. Local...

Texas-based P/C Consulting Firm Acquires Pennsylvania’s Apteon

May 11 2007 // CastleBay Consulting Corporation, a consulting services firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, and specializing in providing high impact consulting services to the property/casualty insurance market, announced that it has...

Hallmark’s Q1 Net Income Doubles Over Same Period Last Year

May 11 2007 // Fort Worth, Texas-based Hallmark Financial Services Inc. reported quarterly net income of $5.0 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007, representing a 105 percent increase over net income of $2.4 million for the...

Winstead Adds Insurance-Focused Attorneys to Austin Office

May 10 2007 // Texas law firm Winstead PC announced it has added two new attorneys, Jeff Autrey and Keith Hopkinson, in its Business/Transaction Department. Autrey represents insurance and insurance-related clients on regulatory matters...

TDI’s Selden to Present at Central Texas CPCU Chapter Event

May 9 2007 // Audrey Selden, senior associate commissioner – Consumer Protection at the Texas Department of Insurance will be the keynote speaker at the Central Texas Chapter CPCU Society’s May luncheon meeting. Selden will...

Texas AG Sues Pawn Shop Chain for Dumping Customer Records

May 9 2007 // The Texas Attorney General’s Office filed suit against a pawn shop chain on May 8, claiming it “systematically” exposed customers to identity theft. Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office said...

Insurers Encourage Texas Consumers to Consider Flood Insurance

May 8 2007 // Recent severe weather in Texas has prompted the Southwestern Insurance Information Service, an insurance trade group, to remind consumers that damage to their homes resulting from flooding is not covered by the standard...

State Auto Middle Market Entering Texas; Ladner Named VP

May 8 2007 // State Auto Insurance Companies announced that its State Auto Middle Market Insurance (SAMMI) unit is coming to Texas. Industry veteran Gerald F. Ladner will lead the group in the state as vice president of SAMMI’s...

People

May 7 2007 // Oklahoma City, Okla.-based BMSI Holdings, the holding company for BancInsure Inc., announced a number of promotions and appointments. Rodney N. Sargent was appointed president of BMSI Holdings and chief executive officer...

Texas’ March Enforcement Actions Lead to $188K in Fines, Restitutions

May 3 2007 // The Texas Department of Insurance announced enforcement actions that became final during March include nine license revocations, four license denials and fines and restitution totaling $188,826. Copies of Insurance...

Texas House Passes Measure to Raise Small Business Tax Exemption

May 3 2007 // The Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 3928, the franchise tax correction bill, by Rep. Jim Keffer (Eastland), which increases the tax emption for small business in House Bill 3 passed during last...

Texas Agent Honored With Big ‘I’ Woodworth Award

Apr 30 2007 // Matt Berry of the William Gammon Agency in Austin, Texas, and former president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, has received the Woodworth Memorial Award, the highest honor the Independent Insurance Agents...