Today in Texas, there’s a new kind of ambulance-chasing trial lawyer. Over the last several years, trial lawyers have begun a new practice of “storm chasing” after major hailstorms in an effort to increase their profits. By manipulating current laws, these storm-chasing trial lawyers are lining their pockets at the expense of everyday Texans. After a pair of Hidalgo County hailstorms in 2012, their abusive tactics caused 10,000 homeowners to lose their property insurance coverage and have driven businesses out of South Texas.
Yet the problem isn’t confined to Hidalgo County. Texas has the most severe weather in the nation. Hailstorms cost the Texas marketplace $10.3 billion in damages from 2004 to 2013.
An explosion of lawsuits generated by storm-chasing trial lawyers is having ramifications across Texas, driving up costs and driving away coverage, hurting homeowners and businesses alike. The dramatic increase in storm-related litigation is much higher than we’ve ever seen Texas, and wildly out of proportion with other states.
If allowed to continue, the unethical and malicious practices leading to a spike in storm-related lawsuits will further hurt homeowners and local Texas businesses.