TTLA 2013 Annual Conference - Reinventing The Rules With Rick Freidman | June 12 - 14, Sheraton Downtown Hotel - Austin Register Now! The TTLA CLE Committee is proud to have Rick Friedman present Reinventing the Rules during the Annual Conference. You will want to reserve the date and book early as we expect that this will be the most heavily attended seminar in TTLA history and space will be limited. Click on the headline to learn more! | KBR Verdict: Judge Affirms $81M of Damages to 12 Oregon Soldiers | | A federal judge in Portland Friday affirmed $75 million in punitive damages a jury awarded to 12 Oregon National Guard veterans last fall in a case against government contractor KBR, Inc. for its conduct in Iraq a decade ago. Magistrate Judge Paul Papak trimmed compensatory damages for each soldier from $850,000 to $500,000 because he determined Oregon law required the reduction. Total compensatory damages now stand at $6 million, setting the total award at $81 million. Joany Carlin, The Oregonian , Oregon Live 04/29/2013 | Read Article: Oregon Live | Suit Says Carfax Has Monopoly | | A group of car dealerships across the country have filed suit against vehicle history report company Carfax, claiming the company violates antitrust laws. The lawsuit states that Carfax has exclusive deals with almost all automaker certification programs, and is therefore able to artificially inflate pricing for dealerships to run Carfax reports. The lawsuit, which also accuses Carfax reports of being inaccurate, is seeking $50 million in damages. Richard Read, Christian Science Monitor 04/29/2013 | Read Article: Christian Science Monitor | Investigation: Questionable Investigations, Little Oversight in State Hospital Deaths | | Ann Simmons knew she was headed for trouble. Her bipolar disorder was spinning out of control again: the mania, the illogical thinking, the impulsive behavior. So one night in early 2012, the 62-year-old Pittsburg woman let her husband finish watching the Super Bowl, then insisted he immediately take her to the hospital for treatment. On Feb. 15, 2012, she arrived at Terrell State Hospital in Northeast Texas. Three days later, she was dead. Andrea Ball, Austin American Statesman 04/29/2013 | Read Article: Austin American Statesman | Texas Insurance Official Urges Panel to Roll Back State Farm Rates | | The state consumer advocate for insurance urged a two-judge panel Wednesday to roll back State Farm’s recent 20 percent premium increase, aiming to cut costs for 1.2 million Texas homeowners. Texas Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck said the company imposed a steep rate hike in December despite good profits and a drop in claims during 2012. Beck is handling the matter after the insurance commissioner declined to act against State Farm. TERRENCE STUTZ, The Dallas Morning News 04/29/2013 | Read Article: The Dallas Morning News | Inmate Suicide Lawsuit Settled by County | | Lincoln County, Neb., officials have agreed to settle a lawsuit with the sister of a local man who killed himself while in county jail in 2008. The lawsuit accused jail officers of "failing to properly monitor [the victim]" and that they should have known he was a suicide risk because he was trying to kill himself when arrested. The victim's sister said he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the military from 2001 to 2004. Wire Report, San Angelo Standard-Times 04/27/2013 | Read Article: San Angelo Standard-Times | | |