Texas / South Central News

Oklahoma Bill Bans Cell Phone Use by Teen Drivers

Legislation that would prevent teenage drivers from using cell phones while driving has cleared a Senate panel. The Senate Public Safety Committee voted 6-2 last week for the bill, Senate Bill 182, which now heads to the full Senate. The …

Texas 2011 Legislative Update

Ambulance-chasing attorneys, frivolous lawsuit filings and contractual indemnification clauses were all subjects addressed by the Texas 2011 legislative session. Joanna Salinas, partner and manager of the Austin-based law firm of Fletcher, Farley, Shipman & Salinas, provided an update on the …

U.S. Risk Promotes Mullens to EVP

U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. has promoted Mike Mullens, the current national practice leader for the U.S. Risk healthcare division, to executive vice president. Mullens has more than 35 years experience in the insurance industry specializing in general liability, property …

Arkansas Supreme Court Hears Nursing Home Liability Case

Attorneys for an Arkansas nursing home and the man who runs it say they deserve a new trial in a case in which a jury ordered the nursing home to pay more than $5 million following the death of a …

Oklahoma House Approves Firefighter Pension Reforms

A measure approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives would stabilize the state’s firefighter pension system by, among other things, increasing the percentage of insurance premium tax allocated to the system. The House voted 93-1 in favor of House Bill …

Last Katrina FEMA Trailer Leaves New Orleans

The last of the once-ubiquitous FEMA trailers has been removed from New Orleans more than six years after floodwalls and levees broke during Hurricane Katrina and caused the city to fill with floodwaters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the …

Higginbotham Appoints Shell to Lead Transportation Insurance Unit

Texas-based independent insurance and financial service firm, Higginbotham, has appointed commercial insurance broker Jack Shell to develop its new transportation unit. Shell, hired in April 2011 at Higginbotham’s Houston branch office, has concentrated experience mitigating the exposures that characterize the …

Louisiana City Works to Remove Dilapidated Structures

The city of Alexandria, La., can’t keep up with the demand for destroying dilapidated structures in the city. During the 20-month span from May 2010 to December 2011, City Attorney Chuck Johnson told the city council that 50 homes were …

After Failed Challenge Louisiana Town Adopts New Flood Maps

The Denham Springs, La., City Council has adopted new federal flood insurance maps. The Advocate reports both the city and Livingston Parish governments had unsuccessfully challenged the new Federal Emergency Management Agency maps. FEMA has given the city a deadline …

Oklahoma Bill Would Raise Legal Age for Tobacco Use

Legislation approved by an Oklahoma House committee would make it illegal for anyone younger than 21 to purchase tobacco products. “The younger someone starts smoking, the harder it is to break the addiction later in life,” said state Rep. Ann …

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