It Figures

0.08

Legislation that would lower the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for the offense of boating under the influence from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent has been approved by the Oklahoma Senate. The measure also would prohibit children under the age of 12 from operating personal watercraft. Sen. Bill Brown, R-Broken Arrow, author of Senate Bill 902, said alcohol use is the leading factor in fatal boating accidents, including several high-profile Oklahoma cases in recent years.

33%

A measure passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives would ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment to cap contingency fees charged by trial attorneys at 33 percent of the first $1 million in damages and 20 percent for higher awards. Oklahomans would be able to vote to reduce the cap on plaintiff attorney contingency fees, allowing the injured party to retain more of the award, if House Bill 1602 by Rep. Dan Sullivan is placed on the ballot. Currently, contingency fees are capped at 50 percent, in addition to attorney expenses and costs. Attorneys would still be able to collect costs and expenses on top of the contingency fees collected in a case.

$4.1 Million

Texas Mutual Insurance Co. reported that it saved or recovered $4.1 million through its workers’ compensation fraud investigations in 2008. The company said the $4.1 million includes: claimant fraud future savings of $2.2 million; restitution of $39,374 from claimants; restitution of $1.6 million in premium fraud; and prevention of $301,467 in health care provider fraud and abusive billing.

Nationally, fraud across all lines of insurance costs consumers about $150 billion per year, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

During the past three years, Texas Mutual has secured 48 convictions and saved or recovered $26 million through the company’s zero tolerance for fraud program. The program offers potential cash rewards that lead to arrests or indictments.