Latest Texas Headlines

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

Business Moves

Jun 1 2020 // Altamont Capital, Topa InsuranceThe deal for Altamont Capital Partners to acquire Topa Insurance Group has been called off. Last August, Altamont Capital Partners signed an agreement to acquire Calabasas, Calif.-based Topa...

Texas Windstorm Insurer Outlines Funding for 2020 Hurricane Season

May 29 2020 // The board of directors of Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail in the state’s coastal counties in February set a goal of $4.2 billion in catastrophe funding for 2020. At a meeting of the...

WSS Hires Easley as Sr. Broker/Underwriter in Texas

May 29 2020 // WSS, a member of XPT Group, a specialty insurance distribution company, has added Meghan Easley as senior broker/underwriter in its Plano, Texas, office.Easley brings 15 years of industry experience, most recently in...

OSHA Cites, Fines Texas Chemical Plant Owner $514.6K After Explosions, Fire

May 28 2020 // A chemical manufacturer has been cited by federal officials for workplace safety hazards and fined more than $500,000 after a fire and explosions at its Port Neches, Texas, plant in November 2019.The U.S. Department of...

Texas Unemployment Rate Hits 12.8% in April, Worst on Record

May 27 2020 // The state’s April jobless rate was 12.8% — Texas’ worst monthly tally on record.That number, included in the Labor Department’s monthly report released on May 22, is the government’s clearest and...

Texas Windstorm Insurer Files Replacement Cost Policy Form Revisions

May 27 2020 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has filed the following revised endorsements with the Texas Department of Insurance for approval: Revised Endorsement No. 164 – Replacement Cost Coverage – Coverage A...

Texas DOI Takes Over More Windstorm Compliance Certifications on June 1

May 26 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance will soon be taking on additional responsibility for issuing Certificates of Compliance for coverage from the state’s insurer of last resort for wind and hail for properties in areas...

North Texas Region Pummeled by Large Hail, Tornadoes

May 26 2020 // Storms carrying large hail and damaging winds, including tornadoes, caused severe damage to parts of North Texas, officials said on May 23.The town of Bowie, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth, was hit...

Texas Insurer Germania Extending Auto Premium Paybacks Through June

May 22 2020 // Texas-based farm mutual insurance company, Germania Insurance, is extending its Reduced Driving Payback through June, raising its total reimbursement to policyholders to nearly $9 million in credits.Germania announced its...

Texas Agency Sleeper Sewell Insurance Joins Insurors Group

May 22 2020 // Dallas-based independent insurance agency, Sleeper Sewell Insurance, has joined Insurors Group LLC, an alliance of independent insurance agents in Texas.Sleeper Sewell Insurance was originally founded as Dwight Sleeper...

Suit: ADT Employee Spied on Texas Customers Via Home Security Systems

May 21 2020 // Two federal class-action lawsuits have been filed against ADT, one of the largest security companies in the country, alleging that an employee spied on customers and children in Texas over a seven-year period through their...

TDI Says License Renewal Extension Ends May 31; Issues Cat Area Data Call

May 20 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance has issued a reminder to agents and adjusters that the extension to renew resident licenses and complete continuing education due to the COVID-19 crisis ends May 31.For licenses that...

Navigating today’s uncertain insurance climate using Automation. How one company is helping Texas Agents figure it all out!

May 20 2020 // West Palm Beach, FL, May 20, 2020 – Challenging times call for new strategies; these days the keystone for professional success lies with innovation! One tech company based out of South Florida blazes a trail for...

Texas Storage Tank Facility Cited for Safety Hazards, Fined $234.5K

May 20 2020 // Alexander Tank Company – a manufacturer of steel storage tanks based in Luling, Texas – has been cited by federal regulators for repeat safety and health hazards and fined $234,528.The U.S. Occupational Safety and...

Texas Transportation Agency Hacked in 2nd Attack on State Government

May 19 2020 // Texas’ transportation agency has become the second part of the state government to be hit by a ransomware attack in recent days.Someone hacked into the Texas Department of Transportation’s network in a...

Business Moves

May 18 2020 // Paragon, Trident Public Risk Solutions, ArgoParagon Insurance Holdings, a national managing general agency, said it has closed on the previously-announced purchase of Trident Public Risk Solutions from Argo Group. Trident...

What to Expect in Workers’ Compensation Costs From COVID-19: NCCI

May 18 2020 // If only 10% of health care workers contract COVID-19 and all of their claims are deemed compensable, workers’ compensation loss costs for that sector could double or even triple in some states, according to an...

Lentz Named Senior VP – Underwriting at Texas Mutual Insurance Co.

May 15 2020 // Workers’ compensation provider, Texas Mutual Insurance Co., has appointed Jeff Lentz as the company’s senior vice president (SVP) of underwriting. He most recently was vice president of underwriting at the...

Texas Appellate Courts Won’t Pay Ransom After Cyber Attack

May 15 2020 // Texas courts have been hit with a ransomware attack that took down the website and case management systems for the state’s appellate and high courts.The attack on the courts’ network was discovered by staff on...

Texas Surplus Lines Premium in April Rises to $741.68M

May 14 2020 // Texas surplus lines premium during the month of April 2020 reached $741.68 million, according to the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX). This is a 14.8% increase over the same period in 2019, SLTX...