TDI Offers Help to Claudette’s Victims

Victims of Hurricane Claudette can receive assistance from the Texas Department of Insurance at disaster recovery centers (DRCs) in Port Lavaca, Victoria and Bay City.

Teams of trained volunteers from TDI’s Consumer Protection Program and other operating divisions will be at each DRC to answer questions, help consumers file claims and, where necessary, accept formal complaints against insurance companies.

The Disaster Recovery Centers are located at the following addresses:
—Victoria: 1703 E. Airline Dr. (Old Water/Wastewater Administration Building)
—Port Lavaca: 1300 N. Virginia, Suite 104 (Memorial Medical Center)
—Bay City: 201 W. 7th (Bay City Civic Center)

TDI staff members will be available at the DRCs between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. No appointment is necessary. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that consumers teleregister for assistance by calling 1-800-261-3362.

Consumers also can obtain information by calling TDI’s toll-free Consumer Help Line, 1-800-252-3439, or by accessing the Department’s Web site, www.tdi.state.tx.us.

TDI has dispatched volunteer teams to assist consumers following other natural disasters, including Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. In the aftermath of Allison, TDI employees helped more than 3,000 consumers with information or interventions to obtain fair claim settlements.