Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tesla Owner Got into Driver’s Seat Before Deadly Texas Crash: NTSB
May 12 2021 // Home security camera footage shows that the owner of a Tesla got into the driver’s seat of the car shortly before a deadly crash in suburban Houston, according to a new government report. But the preliminary report...
SageSure, SURE to Add Coverage Options for Coastal Property in Texas
May 12 2021 // SageSure, a managing general underwriter and insurtech specializing in catastrophe-prone property markets, and SureChoice Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (SURE), have partnered to expand insurance capacity for homeowners...
Nearly $748M in Texas Surplus Lines Premiums Reported in April
May 11 2021 // The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) says recorded $747.99 million in surplus lines premium in April, an amount representing a 0.8% increase over April 2020. Cumulatively, this represents a total of $2.75...
Two Bills Relating to Auto Insurance Claims Practices Advance in Texas
May 11 2021 // The Texas House of Representatives recently advance two pieces of legislation that address claims arising out of vehicle accidents. House Bill 359 The Texas House May 7 passed House Bill 359, which addresses delaying...
Texas Crash Deaths Among Unbuckled Motorists Rose in 2020
May 11 2021 // Texas saw a spike in the number of traffic crash fatalities of people not wearing a seat belt last year, state transportation authorities say. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said in 2020 there was a 16%...
Texas Judge Refuses to Dismiss Theater Chain’s COVID Lawsuit
May 10 2021 // A federal judge in Sherman, Texas on May 5 ruled against an insurer that sought to dismiss a $500 million COVID-19 business interruption lawsuit by the nation’s third-largest chain of movie theaters. The decision...
Texas Fetal “Heartbeat” Bill Expands Lawsuit Liabilities Well Beyond Patient, Provider
May 7 2021 // Texas lawmakers are poised to enact sweeping restrictions on access to abortions, prohibiting the procedure before many women know they are pregnant, and opening the door for a potential flood of lawsuits against abortion...
People Moves: Janes Joins Woodruff Sawyer in Texas; Hamel Named Sr. VP, Sales at AMERISAFE
May 7 2021 // Woodruff Sawyer San Francisco-based insurance broker and consulting firm Woodruff Sawyer has added Jon Janes to its Management Liability team as a vice president. He is based in Austin, Texas. Janes specializes in D&O...
Texas Requiring Email for All Insurance Licensed Entities, Including Agents
May 7 2021 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has adopted a rule that requires individuals, agencies, and companies regulated by TDI to designate an email address for official communications from TDI. To add or update an email...
Many Safety Issues Found Where Texas Oilfield Worker Died from Gas Leak
May 6 2021 // In its report on the Oct. 26, 2019, hydrogen sulfide gas release that killed a Texas oilfield worker and his wife, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) says it found multiple safety issues at the site where the incident...
Insurance Bills Begin to Move in Texas Legislature
May 5 2021 // Numerous insurance-related bills have been filed during the current Texas legislative session and many of them have begun moving in the Texas House and Senate. Among those bills that have recently been acted on and are of...
‘A-‘ Rating Assigned to Texas Insurers, Southlake Specialty and Westlake Specialty
May 5 2021 // AM Best has assigned a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Southlake Specialty Insurance Co. (SSIC) and its subsidiary, Westlake Specialty Insurance Co.,...
North, Central Texas Pummeled by Tornadoes, Hail
May 4 2021 // The National Weather Service in Fort Worth reported that its preliminary storm results survey from the severe weather that swept north and central Texas on May 3 showed two EF-2 tornadoes and three EF-0 tornadoes. The...
Texas Mutual to Distribute $330M in Policyholder Dividends
May 4 2021 // Workers’ compensation insurer, Texas Mutual Insurance Co., will distribute $330 million in policyholder dividends in June, the company said. More than 57,000 Texas business owners, representing approximately 79% of...
Texas Motorcyclist Crash Deaths Up by 17% in 2020
May 4 2021 // Despite less traffic on the road in 2020 and a 2% reduction in motorcycle crashes, there was a 17% increase in Texas motorcycle fatalities compared to 2019, state transportation officials say. The Texas Department of...
Experienced Insurance Provider Launches New Non-Standard Auto Program in Texas
May 4 2021 // IRVING, Tx., May 3, 2021 — Breckenridge Group has launched Breckenridge General Agency (BreckGen), a non-standard auto insurance managing general agency providing Texas insurance agents with a new outlet for affordable...
Insurvia Buys La Familia Agency in Texas
May 3 2021 // Insurvia, a Gemspring Capital portfolio company with holdings including Fiesta Insurance and Bravo General, has acquired La Familia Agency LLC, an independent insurance agency based in Dallas, Texas. La Familia Agency...
Paid Claims from Texas Winter Storm Up to $1.7 Billion
May 3 2021 // As of late March, Texas policyholders had filed 386,108 property and auto insurance claims related to the winter storm that blanketed the state in mid-February. That number reflects preliminary results from a data call...
Texas Supreme Court Sides with Farmers Insurance on Mold-Related Policy Changes
May 3 2021 // The Texas Supreme Court on April 9 reversed lower court rulings and found that Farmers Insurance was within its rights when it decided 19 years ago not to renew homeowners’ policies that it feared would have forced...
Texas, Oklahoma Hailstorms Likely Caused $3.5B in Damage: Accuweather
Apr 30 2021 // Violent spring storms packing high winds and large hailstones in Texas and Oklahoma on April 28 likely caused $3.5 billion in damage, according to Accuweather.com. Additionally, the National Weather Service confirmed an...
