The

INSURANCE

RECORD THE VOICE OF TEXAS INSURANCE Published Since 1934 • Dallas, Texas April 23, 2009 • Vol. 75 No. 9

Texas Forest Service Firefighters Come to the
Rescue as Wildfires Ravage the State

JACKSBORO—Scott Thompson, fire chief of The Colony, could see an amber glow in the sky as he neared the emergency staging area in Decatur.

At work Thursday, Thompson hadn’t yet seen the news reports detailing the massive wildfires that were ravaging the state.

So it wasn’t until he and his 10-person Denton County task force began receiving reports while en route to help that he realized the magnitude of the fires they soon would be facing.

“I’ll tell you, Thursday night it was amazing, there was literally fire everywhere,” Thompson said Friday afternoon, as he made his way back to Jacksboro where he and his team

would rest after spending 20 hours in the field protecting one home after another. “The winds were extremely high and it was very difficult to figure out where to start.”

Two Dozen Wildfires

Nearly two dozen wildfires raced across the state on Thursday and Friday, burning more than 100,000 acres — including two entire towns in Montague County — and killing at least three people. By Saturday, more than 150,000 acres had been burned.

The deadly fires overwhelmed local volunteer departments and exhausted Texas Forest Service resources, prompting continued on page 3

Texans for Lawsuit Reform
Issues Fatwa Against Bills

In This Issue

TDI Posts February enforcements 3

AUSTIN—Texans for Lawsuit Reform issued an urgent alert against two bills which the organization claims are “attacking lawsuit reform.”

SELLING STRATEGIES:

The Sales Test 4

LEGAL DIMENSIONS:

After the hearing in Agent Cases 6

“Hard-won lawsuit reforms that have strengthened our economy and increased access to health care across the state are under attack in the Texas Legislature,” says TLR.

Careful Approach to Federal Regulatory Reform Urged

Geithner Proposal Maintains State Insurance Supervision

The organization called on supporters for help to kill the bills that “blatantly attempt to reverse key lawsuit reforms and court decisions that have returned fairness and balance to our civil courts.”

Paying Pirates Proving Problematic

continued on page 10

ACORD Announces New ACe Designation Program

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