Latest Texas Headlines

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

AFACT Says Plenty of Companies Staying in Texas

Oct 4 2002 // The Association of Fire and Casualty Companies of Texas (AFACT), a property/casualty insurance trade association, announced that its member companies are still offering homeowners policies to Texas consumers and asserted...

Texas WC Discount, Interest Rate Set

Oct 4 2002 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission has determined, pursuant to the authority and direction given under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act (Texas Labor Code, Section 401.023), that any interest or...

Underwriters’ TX Homeowners Rating System Now Free

Oct 4 2002 // Underwriters Technologies’ proprietary Texas Homeowners Rating System is available free for all agents and carriers at its Web site, www.underwriterstechnologies.com, under the Free Tools link.The online rater...

TDI Expands Homeowners Options

Oct 4 2002 // Texas Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor initiated two actions—a statewide expansion of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) and triggering of state market assistance programs, called the FAIR (Fair...

New Study Says Mold Hype is Unfounded

Oct 4 2002 // A new report by the Texas Medical Association says the public’s heightened concern over adverse health effects from mold is not supported by medical evidence, according to The National Association of Independent...

NAII Holds Legislative Briefings in Texas

Oct 2 2002 // The National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) announced it is conducting a series of a series of educational briefings for Texas legislators and their staff to provide background information on how the insurance...

Commissioner Says Texas’ Homeowners Problem Won’t Happen in Okla.

Oct 1 2002 // In response to Farmers’ notification that it won’t be renewing homeowners polices for its Texas customers, Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher issued an announcement clarifying that Oklahomans are protected...

Texas Insurance Crisis Requires Realistic, Not Political Response

Sep 30 2002 // The Alliance of American Insurers urged Texas government officials and insurance regulators to take a reasoned approach to resolving the homeowners insurance crisis brought on by the announcement that Farmers Insurance...

COURT UPHOLDS DOWNS WC RULING

Sep 30 2002 // The Texas Supreme Court denied a motion for rehearing in the case of Downs v. Continental Casualty Co., Cause No. 04-99-00111-CV, letting stand a previous decision in the case, which concerns the timing of a...

Condition Critical: Med Mal Liability Markets in Dire Need of Rescuscitation

Sep 30 2002 // By now, it’s hardly an exaggeration that medical-malpractice liability insurance markets in several states are in crisis.As is the case with so many other insurance lines, the exodus of medical liability carriers...

Leaders Selected for Texas Workers’ Comp Oversight Council

Sep 30 2002 // Texas Speaker of the House, Pete Laney, appointed State Representative Scott Hochberg, Houston, chair of the Board of Directors of the Research and Oversight Council on Workers’ Compensation (ROC). Senator John...

ISO, NATIONWIDE PRODUCTS OKAYED

Sep 30 2002 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has cleared the way for insurers to provide expanded homeowners coverage options by approving both the Insurance Services Office Inc.’s (ISO) Homeowners 2000 program and new...

TX MAN GETS TIME

Sep 30 2002 // James Webb of Houston was sentenced to 18 months in state jail by the Travis County, Texas, District Court after pleading guilty to charges that he defrauded the workers’ compensation system by collecting...

Aiming For Common Sense in Homeowners Market

Sep 30 2002 // The past year has been a difficult one for homeowner’s insurance agents and consumers. Providers have faced spiraling claims costs, while consumers are outraged by rate hikes—leaving agents in the middle to handle...

NAII Comments on Farmers’ Withdrawal From the TX Homeowners Market

Sep 30 2002 // Don Hanson, southwest regional manager of the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII), issued the following statement on Farmers Group of Insurance Companies’ recent decision to leave the Texas homeowners...

Condition Critical: Med Mal Market in Need of Resuscitation

Sep 30 2002 // By now, it’s hardly an exaggeration that medical-malpractice liability insurance markets in several states are in crisis.As is the case with so many other insurance lines, the exodus of medical liability carriers...

Why Insurance Costs Go Up and What Customers Can Do To Save Money

Sep 30 2002 // As renewal notices go out in the mail, insurance agents across Texas are answering calls from their policyholders, some of whom are facing rising homeowners and auto insurance rates.Texas law requires proof of financial...

Texas Couple Facing Fraud Charges

Sep 27 2002 // Travis County District Attorney Ronald Earle announced that the Travis County Grand Jury returned indictments alleging that a Texas couple stole over $1 million from Colonial Casualty Insurance Company, a workers...

POA Pushes Texas Anti-Cherry Picking Bill

Sep 27 2002 // Policyholders of America (POA), a consumer interest group, announced it has secured enough support from Texas legislators to initiate the drafting of nine insurance-related bills to be considered in the 2003 legislative...

Texas Mutual Awards Scholarships

Sep 26 2002 // Texas Mutual Insurance Co. awarded five scholarships totaling $16,478 for the 2002-2003 academic year to family members of individuals who died from work-related accidents.Since the program’s inception last year, the...