Effort to curb personal injury lawsuit payouts dies in the Texas Legislature
Legislation that started as a priority bill to place substantial limits on the personal injury lawsuit industry — those representing accident victims and their families — died this weekend after lawmakers failed to agree on a final version ahead of the deadline.
The bill's end came after it had already been pared down to an unrecognizable version that only required disclosure of referrals between lawyers and health care providers.
The failure to pass the bill marked a significant defeat for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a major business-friendly lobbying group in the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 30, by Sen. Charles Schwertner, sought to limit the amount of damages accident victims could claim by creating specific guidelines around what evidence juries were allowed to consider, and tied the amount of money juries could award to certain thresholds, such as a 150% of what Medicare paid for that service, among others.
The goal of the bill, according to the author, was to curb 'nuclear verdicts' — ones that award victims $10 million or more.
Company owners testified at an April committee hearing that such lawsuits drive up the cost of doing business in Texas.
Lee Parsley, president of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, said the group was disappointed the Legislature did not pass a bill they see as 'necessary to stop this well-documented, barely hidden abuse of our legal system.'
'Today, a kind of fraud is occurring in courtrooms across Texas, as personal injury attorneys and collaborative doctors manufacture medical bills and present them to jurors as if they are legitimate,' he said in a statement. 'This unethical activity is increasing insurance premiums for every business operating in our state. Ultimately, the increased cost of doing business is paid by every Texan.
The bill passed the Senate 20-11 in mid-April. The House also passed the bill 87-51 in late May, but with significant changes that the Senate refused to agree on.
The House version also added an amendment by Reps. Mitch Little, a Republican from Lewisville, and Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso that gave juries discretion to decide what evidence was relevant — a change that House sponsor Greg Bonnen argued defeated the purpose of the bill.
For the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, which opposed the bill, that was a win: 'This moment serves as an important reminder that protecting our civil justice system requires ongoing care and attention,' Jack Walker, president of the group, said.
The bill failed despite being one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's priorities, alongside Senate Bill 39, which was specific to curbing payouts from lawsuits against commercial vehicle owners, including trucking companies.
SB 30 made it to the final legislative stages despite strong opposition from some conservative activists who previously supported the group's efforts on restricting medical malpractice lawsuits.
But the group's influence has waned, especially after backing a rival candidate to Attorney General Ken Paxton. One of Paxton's lawyers in his impeachment trial was Little, who was appointed to the conference committee.
Cody Dishon, a trial lawyer who says the bill spurred him to begin paying attention to the Legislature, was glad to see the bill outcome: 'People from all walks of life have voiced strong opposition to the controversial SB 30, including a former trial judge with 16 years on the bench, medical doctors and healthcare professionals, survivors of sexual assault, conservatives and democrats, defense attorneys, and families who have lost loved ones due to corporate negligence.'
First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
42 minutes ago
- CBS News
Long Beach and Inland Empire Job Corps centers close
A longtime federal program that provides job training, housing and second chances to hundreds of at-risk youth nationwide is shutting its doors in Long Beach and the Inland Empire today. "I'm kind of nervous going back out there," 20-year-old Jacob Moan said after visiting the Inland Empire Job Corps Center. "I got permission to go back with my family in Los Angeles. The thing is my whole family is gang-related except me, and I didn't want to deal with that." Moan is one of the hundreds of Job Corps students left in limbo. He has until Thursday to find another place to live. "I'll be in a motel for about two weeks until a bed opens up at the shelter," he said. "I don't know where I'm gonna go. It sucks." Dominik Rodriguez just graduated from the certified medical assistant program, but now wonders how he'll actually land a job and get money for his son. "Society just like gave up for people in my situation," he said. "It hurts." Last Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced it would suspend operations at its 99 Job Corps centers due to budget constraints. The federally funded centers provide housing, job training and careers for students 16 to 24 years old. "Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community," Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer stated. "However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve." According to the Job Corps transparency report from 2023, the program had an average of 38.6%. The total number of serious incident reports at centers was 14,913. On average, one student costs the federal government more than $80,000 a year. "The transparency report that was released was generated by someone from DOGE, who doesn't know the program, who used statistics from 2023, which were statistics that were coming out of the pandemic," said Luis Ramirez, director of the Long Beach center. "We had just over 30% enrollment at the time." Ramirez added that the center went from helping 257 students to 37, all of whom have no place to go. "They're asking if they can come home and the situations are not possible for these students and parents," Ramirez said. "The students that did leave, we're hearing they are reaching out to community services and are struggling." Ramirez is one of the 140 staff members who will be laid off in Long Beach. "When you walk through our center, we're changing lives every day," Ramirez said.
Entrepreneur
43 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
3 remarkable winners amid an unseen surge
Oil prices have been falling as OPEC increases production. Like Trump with trade, the cartel is looking to re-shape the chess board. Here's what investors need to know This story originally appeared on WallStreetZen The dominant story of 2025 has been President Trump using tariffs to restructure global trade. So, many investors are missing another major development as OPEC has been increasing oil production. Notably, this increase in production has come about despite already weakening oil prices. This is not an accident as OPEC is looking to increase its market share. Over the last decade, steadily rising US shale oil production has eroded OPEC's control of the market and resulted in the US becoming a net exporter of energy. WTI Crude oil started the year at around $74 per barrel and currently trades below $60 per barrel. However, shale oil production is only viable at prices above $70 per barrel. 2020 and 2014 The last two major instances of OPEC members increasing oil production were in early-2020 and 2014. And, both instances marked the beginning of multi month declines in oil prices. In 2014, WTI crude dropped from $105 per barrel in June 2014 to below $55 by the end of the year. The major impetus for this increase was the growth in US shale production which was starting to affect OPEC's market share and pricing power. In early 2020, Saudi Arabia decided to increase oil production in an effort to discipline other OPEC members who were not abiding by the cartels' production quotas. As the chart below shows, this resulted in oil prices sliding lower and eventually collapsing as the pandemic temporarily crippling oil demand. Both experiences contain important lessons for investors. 2025 In its first production surge, OPEC didn't materially cut back on supply increases until there was a material decrease in rig counts and shale production. 2020 gives us few clues, since the production surge ended quickly, once the nature and challenge of the pandemic became clear in early March. However, the biggest takeaway is that investors should not ""fight OPEC." A common adage on Wall Street is "don't fight the Fed." Essentially, this means don't be bearish when the Fed is aggressively easing or don't be overly bullish if the Fed is tightening policy. Similarly, investors should have a more risk-averse approach when investing in oil, whenever OPEC is increasing production. What Opportunities Does the OPEC Surge Create? Instead, investors should focus on the consequences of a multi month decline in oil prices, as these are where investment opportunities can be found. For instance, many airline stocks enjoyed spectacular rallies in 2014 and 2015 as lower oil prices boosted margins and profits. In 2020, many shippers enjoyed huge gains as the world was awash in excess oil which had to be stored and transported. Investors should identify stocks with strong fundamentals that have strong quantitative ratings. Then, they can narrow down this list of stocks to find the ones that will benefit from this specific catalyst. The Zen Ratings can help you screen for these stocks. For instance, investors can screen for stocks with an overall A or B rating along with strong component grades for defensive categories like Safety, Value, or Financials. Currently, there are a handful of stocks that fit this criteria. In today's article, I want to discuss 3 companies: United Airlines (UAL), CVR Partners (UAN), and Hallador Energy (HNRG). 1. United Airlines (UAL) United Airlines (UAL) is a major beneficiary of lower oil prices as it reduces costs, boosts margins, and leads to an increase in consumer spending. As oil prices dropped by more than 50% between June 2014 and February 2015, UAL's stock was up by nearly 70%. UAL also brings outstanding financials given a solid balance sheet, low debt-to-equity ratio, and a rock-bottom forward P/E of 6.6 which is significantly cheaper than the S&P 500's forward P/E of 22. The company is also well-regraded by Wall Street analysts as it has 8 Strong Buy ratings and 3 Buy ratings with no Sell or Hold ratings. It also has a consensus price target of $103 which implies 30% upside. Another indication of strong performance is that the company has topped analysts' earnings expectations for 11 straight quarters. Similarly, the Zen Ratings are also bullish on the stock as it has a Strong Buy (A) rating. A-rated stocks have an average annual performance of 32.5% which beats the S&P 500's average annual gain of 10.8%. 2. CVR Partners (UAN) CVR Partners (UAN) produces nitrogen fertilizer, providing farmers with ammonia and other products. A byproduct of reduced shale oil production will be higher natural gas prices, and fertilizer prices tend to rise with natural gas prices. Like UAL, UAN offers a strong balance sheet, low leverage ratios, and an attractive valuation with a P/E of 11. UAN also pays an 8% dividend yield and has consistently hiked dividend payouts over the last decade. While certain segments of the economy are going to lose from tariffs, agriculture is an exception. Either the administration is going to strike deals that will boost exports, or it will provide aid to farmers given their political importance as was the case during the previous trade war in 2018-2019. Given these strong fundamentals, it's not surprising that UAN is rated a Strong Buy (A). The stock has appeal to both value and growth investors. The company's recent earnings reports reveal strong cash flow. Over the last 12 months, the company generated nearly $100 million in cash which is impressive given its total market cap of $825 million. This combination ensures a margin of safety while providing exposure to positive catalysts. 3. Hallador Energy (HNRG) While UAN will benefit from higher fertilizer prices, HNRG will benefit from higher coal prices. Coal prices and natural gas prices tend to move in the same direction. Further, the Trump administration's embrace of coal also removes another major headwind for the industry which led to underperformance for most of the last decade. Essentially, coal stocks were mired in a brutal bear market from 2010 to 2020. Low natural gas prices made it less competitive. At the same time, the government was embracing environmental policies to reduce coal consumption. Now, both of these headwinds have eased, and investors are finding opportunities in the sector. Wall Street analysts are also bullish on the stock as it has 2 Strong Buy ratings and 1 Buy rating with 0 Sells or Holds. In terms of the Zen Ratings, it's rated a Buy (B). B-rated stocks have produced an average annual return of 19.5% which beats the S&P 500's average annual gain of 10.8%. The stock is also a standout in terms of component grades. Out of our universe of 4,500 stocks, it's in the top 3% for Growth. This is consistent with the company's improving outlook given increasing coal production and rising prices. Additionally, it ranks in the top 4% for Safety due to its low levels of debt, leverage, and collection of high-quality assets. What's the Endgame For OPEC's Production Uptick? While the endgame and path for Trump's trade war is unclear, the fallout and conclusion of OPEC's production surge is much more predictable. While North American energy producers are likely to struggle, commodities like natural gas, coal, and fertilizer will benefit. Another winner will be airlines as consumer spending remains strong while fuel costs decline. What to Do Next?
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Jhoan Duran's revised 4-seam fastball key to his resurgence, reliever of the month award
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Many factors are involved in the early-season resurgence that led Jhoan Duran to earn reliever of the month honors Tuesday, but it's hard to dismiss the impact of a revamped four-seamer. Though the dip in average velocity of Duran's fastball over the years is well documented, the Minnesota Twins reliever is using a new grip to throw his heater as much as ever and with better results than in any of his big-league seasons aside from his rookie year (2022). Advertisement Duran, who became the first Twins reliever to be named the American League's reliever of the month since Joe Nathan in June 2009, is 4-1 with nine saves, a 0.99 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings this season. He posted a 0.60 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 15 innings in May en route to joining Nathan, a three-time winner who is the only other Twins pitcher to be named reliever of the month. THE JHOAN AND ONLY 🔥 Congratulations to Jhoan Duran on being named the @MLB AL Reliever of the Month for May! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 3, 2025 Whereas a season ago Baseball Savant said Duran's fastball carried a negative-1 Run Value en route to a career-worst 3.64 ERA, this season it's plus-4 and pairing nicely with a plus-6 splinker, a plus-1 sweeper and a solid curveball. 'He's been doing his job at a very high level all year long,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'He's used all of his pitches. They've all been pretty consistent. He's been able to get ahead with all three and then use all three in the middle and late in the counts, too. The fact that he's spreading it out so well, it means that they have to respect everything.' First and foremost, Duran's turnaround is rooted in good health and a strong offseason program that resulted in his losing 12 pounds. Though he's known for having a good work ethic, Duran said too many events disrupted his offseason preparation ahead of 2024. This winter, Duran spent the entire offseason in the Dominican Republic adhering to the same rigorous conditioning program he used in 2023. Beyond the lesser conditioning, Duran suffered an oblique injury in spring training 2024, which he and Twins coaches believe hampered his performance into the middle of last summer. This year, Duran isn't just fit; he's physically moving well, which means no disruptions. It also has him in a place to more easily make adjustments and experiment. Advertisement One of those experiments is trying a different grip on his four-seamer, which he's previously used, pitching coach Luis Ramirez said. Duran and Ramirez believe the new grip has increased the amount of run on his four-seamer from 12.3 inches in 2024 to 13.6 inches this season, action that is leading Duran to trust his four-seamer more. 'The other grip I have, it feels comfortable, but it doesn't have too much (run) on it,' Duran said. 'Luis told me, 'If you grab it like this, maybe it'll have more (run).' We can try it. We tried, and I feel (better). The ball is moving really good. I throw a lot of fastballs right in the middle, and they're hitting groundballs. In the past when I missed fastballs in the middle, it was a homer or a double.' Based on previous usage, Ramírez, who has worked with Duran since he was a minor leaguer, knew the pitcher would be open to incorporating the grip again. Duran said he has simply flipped the seams on the ball to the other side of his grip. 'We kind of go back and forth depending on the movement and locations, depending on, 'Am I comfortable?'' Ramírez said. 'Obviously, this grip gives him better carry. This grip gives him a little better movement.' Being able to command the fastball better is critical for the rest of Duran's mix. This season, he's throwing his four-seamer in the strike zone 57.5 percent of the time, up from 53.5 percent a year ago. He's also able to trust the run will allow him to throw it in more hittable locations without the fear of an opponent crushing it. A year ago, Duran didn't throw his four-seamer with as much conviction, which allowed opponents to sit on his splinker and curveball more often. 'The biggest thing between last year and this year is just command of the four-seam,' Twins reliever Griffin Jax said. 'The splitter's always been there. But last year, I don't think he was commanding his four-seam at all. They'd just be sitting splinker and hit it into the ground, and a lot of those found holes last year.' Advertisement Indeed, hitters are doing far less damage on Duran's splinker. Last season, opponents had a .363 slugging percentage against Duran's splinker, a figure that has dipped to .189 in 2025. As a result, Duran has increased his splinker usage to 35.6 percent from 31.4 percent last year. Throw in his curveball and a sweeper he's started to use more, and Duran can attack hitters in a variety of ways. Entering Tuesday, opponents were hitting .172/.261/.182 against Duran versus .235/.305/.363 a year ago. 'He's really pitching well right now, and it's not just the heater that's improved,' Baldelli said. 'Everything is in a good spot right now. He's just mixing and getting ahead and then putting guys away. He's doing it all.'
