Latest Texas Headlines

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

No Settlement in $58M Judgment Against Texas Homebuilder

Mar 24 2010 // Mediation efforts were unsuccessful March 22 between an elderly Fort Worth, Texas-area couple and the politically powerful Houston homebuilder who lost a $58 million judgment to them, the couple’s lawyers said.Van...

How States Are Responding to Healthcare Reform Law

Mar 23 2010 // Many U.S. states are worried that the healthcare overhaul plan approved by the U.S. House of Representatives will usurp their sovereignty and impose more spending on their already stretched budgets.Republican attorneys...

It Figures

Mar 22 2010 // $51 Million A jury in Tarrant County, Texas, awarded a suburban Fort Worth couple a $51 million verdict against a politically influential Texas homebuilder. Robert and Jane Cull of Mansfield won the verdict against Perry...

New Markets

Mar 22 2010 // The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com.Couriers Market Detail: RLI...

People

Mar 22 2010 // Cheryl Celcer has joined wholesale insurance provider Swett & Crawford after a nearly 30-year career with The Hartford, in which she held the position of executive select customer sales representative. Celcer will work...

Texas’ Preferred Personal Insurance Agency Writes More With Social Media

Mar 18 2010 // Gartner research shows mobile consumers spent $4.2 billion in 2009 at mobile applications stores, and that figure is expected to jump to $30 billion by 2013, said George Redenbaugh, assistant treasurer and senior director...

Appeals Court Sides with Texas Mutual on Sanctions in Work Comp Case

Mar 18 2010 // The Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas issued an opinion on March 16, 2010, ruling that sanctions imposed against Texas Mutual Insurance Company related to a workers’ compensation case were improper.The...

Chubb Expands Its Private Wildfire Protection Network Into Texas

Mar 17 2010 // The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has expanded its wildfire defense services to homeowner policyholders in Texas.In addition to providing wildfire education and property risk assessments, the program responds to...

Judge Sets Aside $100 Million Verdict in BP Texas Case

Mar 17 2010 // Last December a jury ordered BP to pay $100 million in punitive damages at the conclusion of a trial over the April 2007 release at BP’s 455,790 barrel-per-day refinery in Texas City, Texas.U.S. District Judge...

Best Affirms Ratings of Farmers Insurance Group and Members

Mar 17 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Farmers Insurance Group and its members. Best also affirmed the debt...

Texas High Court Upholds 10-Year Filing Period in Med-Mal Lawsuits

Mar 17 2010 // In a move Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says validates Texas’ medical malpractice laws, the Texas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s 10-year limitation, or statute of repose, on filing medical...

Higginbotham and EnRisk Services Partner to Serve Texas Energy Industry

Mar 16 2010 // Independent insurance and financial services brokerage firm, Higginbotham & Associates, has engaged EnRisk Services, an insurance broker and risk manager for the energy industry, to supplement its existing Energy...

IMA of Texas Launches Contractual Risk Management Practice

Mar 15 2010 // Insurance and risk management services company, IMA Financial Group Inc., has established a contract management practice at its retail insurance brokerage subsidiary, IMA of Texas.George Schneller J.D., manager of the...

Holt Joins Higginbotham & Associates

Mar 11 2010 // Parker Holt has joined the Austin, Texas, office of independent insurance and financial services brokerage firm Higginbotham & Associates as vice president.He is a property/casualty insurance broker and risk consultant...

How Agencies Are Leveraging Social Networking

Mar 8 2010 // There’s no better time for insurance agents and brokers to delve into social networking technologies than now, according to those who study marketing and technology trends. More than four in five U.S. online adults...

Texas Catastrophic Weather Losses Totaled $2.5B in 2009

Mar 7 2010 // Texas in 2009 experienced weather catastrophes that resulted in more insured losses than any other state. Texas experienced 10 weather catastrophes in 2009 that caused nearly $2.5 billion in losses. The next highest state...

Terrorism and Intentional Acts: Austin Plane Crash Raises Coverage Questions

Mar 7 2010 // Austin, Texas, Police Chief Art Acevedo stopped short of calling the crashing of a small plane into a commercial office building in northwest Austin on Feb. 18 a terrorist act, but U.S. Representative Mike McCaul said he...

People

Mar 7 2010 // Lockton Dunning Benefits appointed Sheri Pixley to the newly created position of executive vice president and practice leader of the Dallas-based health and welfare practice. Pixley has been involved in consulting with...

Rules Change for Young Drivers in Texas

Mar 2 2010 // Applicants for a drivers license in Texas between the ages of 18 and 24 now must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to get a license, the Texas Department of Public Safety says.DPS says...

Insurance Network of America Adds Yeakel to Professional Services Unit

Feb 25 2010 // Insurance Network of America, a national insurance broker headquartered in Austin, Texas, announced it continues to strengthen its law firm insurance and risk mitigation presence with the addition of Anne R. Yeakel to its...