Storm Chasing Lawyers: Where Are They Now?
September 1 marks the one-year anniversary of the enactment of House Bill 1774, the Texas Legislature’s solution to stop storm-chasing lawyers from taking advantage of property owners after natural disasters. After the explosion of unnecessary lawsuits against insurance companies following hail and wind events, property insurers in parts of the state were raising premiums and deductibles, or had stopped offering coverage in some areas all together. The Legislature acted decisively in 2017 to shut down this obvious lawsuit abuse and stop storm-chasing lawyers from hijacking our property insurance premiums.
Our data shows that during the four-and-a-half-year period from Jan. 1, 2014, through June 30, 2018, more than 34,600 weather-related lawsuits were filed throughout Texas, an average of 640 new lawsuits per month. Compare that to the six years before 2012, when fewer than 4,500 of these lawsuits were filed in Texas, an average of only 62 new lawsuits per month.
This explosion of lawsuits was driven by lawyer conduct—including the unlawful and unethical recruitment of clients through door-to-door solicitation by case generators.
TLR’s recent data shows that weather-related lawsuit filing spiked in August 2017, the month before HB 1774 took effect, as storm-chasing lawyers dumped their inventory of heavily-solicited lawsuits into the court system. They filed 1,553 new weather-related lawsuits in that single month! And in more than 36 percent of those lawsuits, the plaintiff’s lawyer named an individual as a co-defendant with the insurance company in order manipulate venue.
But since then, the number of lawsuits filed each month dipped significantly, although we have begun to see a slight uptick in the number of lawsuits filed in the past few months. We hope these positive trends will continue. We will keep an eye on the courts to study the rate of weather-related lawsuit filings.
As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19. Read and share: bit.ly/2YVICRG
Businesses ask patrons to waive right to sue if they get ill
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As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19."those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Studies show that on average, Louisiana families pay $4,000 more per year through costs associated with the state’s legal climate. These are things such as auto insurance rates driven sky-high by lawsuits, as well as increased prices associated with goods such as food, medicine, lumber and other items that have to be transported by commercial trucks. Read and share: bit.ly/3dFNZd3
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Our state's businesses have been forced to confront the uncertainties of a pandemic and a public health emergency, as well as an unprecedented economic crisis. It’s abundantly clear that we’re fac...What institutions of higher education do not yet have is assurance that they will not be met with costly litigation if, as seems inevitable, someone gets sick on campus despite their best efforts. Read and share: bit.ly/3eKBNJ9
A shield from lawsuits could help our schools resume teaching and research
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What institutions of higher education do not yet have is assurance that they will not be met with costly litigation if, as seems inevitable, someone gets sick on campus despite their best efforts.
TLR is working to make the Texas legal system fair, efficient and accessible for all. Learn more:
About - Texans for Lawsuit Reform
TLR's objective is to restore litigation to its traditional and appropriate role in our society. A lawsuit takes a heavy emotional and financial toll ...
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As businesses reopen across the U.S. after #coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch #COVID19. Read & RT: #lawsuitreform #tortreform
Businesses ask patrons to waive right to sue if they get ill
As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue i...
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