General

Insurance Companies Denying Claims And Raising Rates

October 13, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Dallas insurance attorneys need to keep up with what is going on in the insurance industry. An Austin paper ran an article talking about rate hikes and the insurance company claim for the necessity of the rate hike. Here is what the article tells us.

State Farm Lloyds of Texas said Friday that it intends to raise homeowner policy rates in Texas by an average of 20 percent.

In a move that drew criticism, the state’s largest writer of homeowners insurance submitted a notice of the increase to the Texas Department of Insurance. The changes will be effective Nov. 1 for new customers and Dec. 1 for existing customers, if the change is not denied by the department.

Home Owners Insurance Claims

October 11, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Dallas insurance attorneys and those in Mesquite, Garland, Richardson, and other places in Dallas County need to be aware of the insurance practices related to some home owners claims that were discussed in a recent article titled, “Can Mortgage Lenders Hold Your Insurance Money Hostage?”

Here is what it tells the reader:

If your home has been seriously damaged or destroyed, your insurance company will release a check made out to both you and your mortgage lender to pay for the necessary repairs.

General Insurance Information

September 29, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Insurance law attorneys in Fort Worth, Dallas, Mesquite, Garland, Richardson, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Southlake, and other areas in the DFW area need to keep up with general information regarding insurance. The Dallas Morning News ran an article in late July that would be informative regarding insurance rates.

The article tells us about recent rate increase initiatives by Farmers insurance Company.

Homeowners covered by Farmers Insurance will see their second premium increase this year, the company told state regulators Friday, planning to boost the cost of most policies in Texas by an average of 15 percent.

Declaratory Judgment On Homeowners Policy

September 27, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Grand Prairie insurance attorneys and those in Arlington, Fort Worth, Dallas, Mansfield, and other places in the DFW area have to know how to deal with an insurance company when a declaratory judgment action is filed.

The Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion in a case in 1999, that had it’s legal beginning from a declaratory judgment action. The style of the case is, Texas Farmers Insurance Co. v. Murphy. Here is the relevant information.

Mr. Murphy obtained homeowners insurance with Texas Farmers in 1993. Seven days later the home was ransacked and intentionally burned down. Mr. Murphy submitted a proof of loss claiming $115,000 for damage to the structure and $69,000 for damage to personal property.

Declaratory Judgments For Insurance Cases

September 25, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Weatherford insurance lawyers and those in Aledo, Azle, Springtown, Hudson Oaks, Cool, Millsap, Brock, and other places in Parker County need to have a good understanding of declaratory judgment actions.

The Austin Court of Appeals issued an opinion in 1998, that was a declaratory judgment action. The style of the case is, Calderon v. Mid-Century Insurance Company of Texas.

Here is the relevant information:

Insurance – What’s Not Covered

September 23, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Fort Worth insurance lawyers and those in Grapevine, Colleyville, Saginaw, Roanoke, and other places in the Tarrant County area need to have knowledge of the various coverages in an insurance policy.

There was a recent article on the internet that discussed this topic. It’s title was, “Beware of Common Holes in Homeowners Insurance.”

Earthquakes, unexpected deductibles, and flooding are just a few of the costs your homeowners policy might not cover. But if you’re like most Americans, you probably don’t realize it. According to the MetLife Auto & Home Insurance Literacy Survey, many homeowners are clueless about the ins and outs of their policies, which means they could easily end up paying a lot more than they expected after damage to their home.

Fraud Claims

September 18, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Insurance lawyers in Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Lake Worth, Saginaw, and other places in Tarrant County need to be tuned in to what looks like or constitutes insurance fraud. The Texas Penal Code, Chapter 35 deals with insurance fraud in the State of Texas. Also the Texas Department of Insurance has information that may be helpful for learning more about it.

The Associated Press ran an article in August 2012, that dealt with an example of insurance fraud:

The article tells us that a man who reported his father missing at a beach in New York was charged with insurance fraud and filing a false report several days after his father turned up alive in the State of South Carolina. This was following a massive air and water search that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Insurance Fraud

September 16, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Grand Prairie insurance attorneys and those in Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield, Irving, De Soto, Cedar Hill, Arlington, and other places in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex need to know how to evaluate a case. There will be those times when a person may be trying to commit insurance fraud. An attorney needs to know the penalties associated with such efforts.

The Insurance Journal ran an article dealing with new penalties enacted in the State of Alabama. Here is most of the article:

A number of recently enacted laws in Alabama concerning property-casualty insurance became effective on August 1.

Personal Injury Protection Coverage

September 13, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Grand Prairie insurance attorneys and those in Irving, Duncanville, De Soto, Lancaster, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, and other places in Dallas County should have a good understanding of the way that Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits work. The State of Florida through it’s department of insurance mandates coverage much the way Texas does. The SunSentinel ran an article dealing with PIP complaints. Here is much of what the article says.

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater blasted the auto insurance industry Tuesday, saying it needed to “quit the whining” over reductions to auto insurance rates required as part of reforms to the state’s no-fault auto insurance law.

“The insurance industry came to each committee meeting, they lobbied these legislators – ‘You’ve got to make these changes so we can help our customers,'” Atwater said in an interview. “But no sooner do suggested reductions come out and everybody starts running for cover.”

Insurance Company Complaints

August 28, 2012 | Mark S. Humphreys

Fort Worth lawyers and those in Grapevine, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Colleyville, Keller, Saginaw, and other places in and around Tarrant County need to be aware of a recent article in the Austin American Statesman.

Before showing the content of the article it is important to understand that the place in Texas to go, to complain about an insurance company (besides an experienced Insurance Law Attorney) is the Texas Department of Insurance. TDI has a web-site and easy to access forms for filing complaints. They are suppose to investigate the claims and follow up with the person’s complaint.

Here is what the article tells us: