Update on the Unfair Insurance Tactic of Swoop and Settle in Texas

Earlier last month, I wrote about another reason not to talk to an insurance adjuster. In that blog, I wrote about testimony that I provided to the Texas House Insurance Committee on the practice of insurance companies swooping in and settling cases for pennies on the dollar through unfair oral releases. In my testimony, I told the story of a young woman, Raza Domiguez, who came to me after the at-fault party’s insurance declined to undo her unfair oral agreement long before any payment was ever received.

Texas Watch, a non-profit consumer protection watchdog, picked up the story and recorded an interview with Raza. The podcast with the interview is here.

The bill, HB 2374, would allow consumers the right to rescind oral agreements entered into without a lawyer within 45 days of an injury. The House Insurance Committee voted the bill out of committee unanimously, with all seven Republicans and Democrats supporting the bill. Currently, the bill sits in the Calendars Committee.

Texas Watch and many other advocacy groups are lobbying to move the bill out of Calendars and to the house floor before the session ends and the bill dies. Time is limited, but there is still a closing window of opportunity to prevent Texans from being abused by big insurance.

Raza found her voice and has now put a face to a problem that faces real Texans. I am proud of her. Although there was nothing I could do to correct the injustice done to her, together we are advocating for positive change in Texas. Thank you, Texas Watch, for staying true to your mission and effectively advocating to stop powerful special interests like the insurance lobby from harming consumers.

If you would like to partner with Texas Watch to help advocate for Texans, join me and become a member. Go to https://www.texaswatch.org/ to learn about other consumer protection efforts and join the effort.