On Sunday, the Nashua Telegraph featured in their Living section a nice write-up about the recovery effort going on for the residents of Galveston. While there is still a lot of work to be done, it appears that the heart and desire is there for locals to completely rebuild the…
In the wake of insurance companies backing out of agreements intended to help policy holders rebuild their homes and move on with their lives, SE Texas residents are beginning to feel the need to turn to the legal system to receive the money they are owed. KBMT news did a…
In looking to decrease its exposure, the Florida legislature has moved forward on legislation that will raise premiums on owners of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance policies. The Miami Herald reports: Lawmakers approved the proposal (HB 1495) Thursday that would increase rates on a gradual basis for customers of the state-backed…
Placing a scientific and unbiased opinion on the issues relating to drywall imported from China, forensic experts have begun looking into the effects and problems involved with Chinese drywall. Along with the interesting fact that the crisis has already led to people taking advantage of panic (“One company is already…
A Maryland based group recently studied the effects of a hurricane hitting the Northeast and found the results would be economically devastating. Using only a category 3 hurricane in their analysis (Gustav and Katrina were both 4’s), the group found that such a storm could cause upwards of $130 billion…
In an interesting little article that may have slipped through the cracks for many, the Wall Street Journal discusses claims by Chinese officials that the drywall issue is, potentially, an American myth of sorts. Xu Luoyi, head of the National Building Materials Industrial Technology Supervisory Research Center, notes that the…
Texas’ state-run wind damage insurance program has fallen into financial crisis as a result of settlements and payouts in the face of recent hurricanes. Insurance reform has been pushed to the top of Governor Perry’s priority list in the new legislative session but things are not looking good for the…
As the Chinese Drywall saga continues, Florida has jumped all over the issue and is pushing for investigations while testing homes for dangerous sulfur levels. These actions come after a timeline of incidences, many of which may be read about on this blog’s section on the drywall, and demonstrate a…
A notable news item for victims of Hurricane Katrina and those who keep an eye on hurricane litigation, today’s civil suit against the federal government for the failure of levees to protect inhabitants will bring national attention to this issue. NEW ORLEANS — A groundbreaking civil suit begins in federal…
In the midst of Hurricane Rita judgements and appeals, the Southeast Texas record recently profiled a woman who, albeit bravely, chose to represent herself in her appeal against her insurance company and paid the price. Mary Harmon, who felt her insurers, National Lloyds and the Kenneth Denby Insurance Agency, acted…