Texas Insurers Succeed Against Questionable Hail-Related Lawsuits

A south Texas hailstorm in 2012 was the start of an increase in lawsuits being filed after severe weather events, sometimes even after claims were paid and repairs were completed. Some insurers received notices of hundreds of lawsuits being filed at one time immediately or sometimes months after a storm. And oddly, despite this rush to the courthouse, data from the Texas Department of Insurance showed few complaints being filed during 2013-2015. “Typically, only a small number of claims result in lawsuits, and many insurers were surprised by this sudden onslaught of lawsuits especially given that companies did not suddenly change how they resolved claims,” said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas.