Richard Johnson - Insurance Council of Texas Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're going to care when you're trying to get your
car into the body shop and there's like a three
week wait or when you get your next insurance bill
and your rates go a way up. Richard Johnson, Insurance
Council of Texas joins us. I guess it's safe to
anticipate Richard, there's going to be a fair amount of
car accidents here in south east Texas over the course
of the next few days because there are people are
going to go out there and they're going to drive

(00:22):
in conditions they're just not used to. What do you
think that ultimately does to insurance rates here in Texas?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, First, thanks for having me and hopefully people just
stay home things clear up. I know some people, you know,
you got to get into work and for a little while,
but if you can not be on the road, then
you're not gonna have a claim and do what you
have to do about your insurance. So I know it's
easier said than done. A lot of that's not going.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
To impact uh.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
You know, things like this are typically priced into two times,
but as it is, but you know, we've had snow
and ice for our rates and premium last four four
years and so things like that are are our price there.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
You know, well, I know you have snow and ice
worked into your premiums for for northern states, but is
that also true in Texas because we don't usually get
snow and ice?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
What you know, like I said, the last you know,
three out of the you know, now we're now we're
three out of the foe. Can you hear me?

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Now? Yeah, well, maybe stay real close to the phone
and and and stay still and we'll see if we
can't keep the connection going. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, So over the last couple of years we have
you know, we've had snow and ice all right, sorry
about that four years. So things like that are are
priced in. But it all the last three out of
the flames. Uh. You know, this isn't like a hailstorm
where you know, depends on how many, or a tornado
or a hurricane where you know you're gonna have those
massive and loth or or hopefully people if we slow down,

(01:54):
uh take some amounts of claims eater. Uh you know
that we're having delayed openings anyway, schools are to the
roads a little bit later, so hopefully the claims are
are lower and we're not We're not dealing closed in
the future.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Well, I would guess too. As a final note here,
that's something that can incentivize people not to not to
go out and deal with this stuff. Is just the
sheer inconvenience of having to wait after the storm to
get your vehicle fixed because there's only so many body
shops in the Greater Houston area and if you have
thousands of rex, it's gonna take you a while to
get your car fixed.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, you've dealt with this here in Central Texas and
we had we had hail over the spring slowly, you know,
we we and that's exactly what we dealt with. There
were so many claims, so many you know, there's only
so many bus so I did it took it took
it took a while. So having your car out of
commission for a couple of weeks is not is not
convenient at all. Uh And you know, uh, for a

(02:47):
claim that is going to go on your on your
on your insurance record, and so it is a let's
try to avoid that.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah. Amen, All right, sir, thank you for your time
this morning. Do appreciate. We'll let you go. That phone
still clicking out on you. Richard Johnson Insurance Council of
Texas it's seven twenty seven