Phantom policies are haunting Texas roads. HB 915 will remove these dangerous junk policies and it's critical that your legislator hears your voice. Take these few simple steps below to call your Texas State Representative in support of HB 915 by Representative Ed Thompson:
1) Look up who represents you at: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/find-your-representative/
2) Input your address and press "Find Rep"
Ware Wendell, Executive Director of Texas Watch, a non-partisan citizen advocacy organization that works to protect policyholders, released the following statement regarding HB 1774, one of the Blue Tarp Bills, which passed the House Committee on Insurance today on a 6-3 vote:
Texas Watch testified against HB 1774, one of the Blue Tarp Bills, at the House Insurance Committee hearing this week. Watch and read Executive Director Ware Wendell's testimony below. Then, please take one minute to sign the petition to preserve policyholder protections here.
Texas lawmakers are one step closer to clearing road blocks to a #SafeTexas. Yesterday, the House Insurance Committee unanimously approved HB 915, which would remove dangerous phantom insurance policies from Texas roads.
We entrust our medical care to professionals. Often, these professionals save lives. But sometimes this trust is violated and precious lives are ended or changed forever through carelessness or incompetence. When this happens, in the quest for accountability, the question arises: What is that person’s life worth?
After being rejected last session, insurance lobbyists are again pushing legislation (HB 1774 & SB 10, more aptly called the "Blue Tarp Bills") that would lessen penalties for property insurers that hurt their customers.
Texas Watch Executive Director Ware Wendell released the following statement concerning HB 1774, which was heard today in the House Committee on Insurance:
We give insurers our hard-earned dollars year after year and count on them to help us in our time of need. But too often insurers choose to pad their profits instead, hurting us by unfairly denying, delaying and underpaying valid claims.
When car wrecks happen, Texans rely on insurance to help them get back on their feet. But with over 1.5 million vehicles driving with “phantom coverage,” Texas families are finding themselves unprotected and hung out to dry by insurers selling junk policies.
Data from the Texas Department of Insurance's "Weather Related Property Claims" report shows that Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) and other insurance lobbyists have fabricated another "crisis" in an effort to rob Texas homeowners, businesses, churches, and schools of their legal protections.
After disaster strikes, Texans start the process of rebuilding and getting back on their feet. But too often, insurers delay and underpay policyholders' valid claims. A policyholder can’t rebuild until they have full payment in hand. When insurers underpay Texans and add unnecessary delays, Texas communities are left in the lurch. This month, SB 10 and HB 1774, more aptly referred to as the Blue Tarp Bills, were filed.
