Hurricane Ike settlement data to become public soon

Information on the $189 million settlement between the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and Hurricane Ike victims will soon become public.

State District Judge Susan Criss (D – Galveston) issued an order Thursday lifting her earlier injunction keeping the data secret.

The public will now be able to know exactly how much was paid out in property damages, non-economic losses and living expenses after the storm. The amount that went to lawyers representing hurricane victims will also be known.

State Rep. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) was a leader in the effort to make the settlement information public. According to his staff, the next step is for Taylor and other legislators who pushed for the release to compile a report on the data for their colleagues in government.

“That way we can have that data available for future use,” said Wes Starnes, an administrative assistant with Taylor’s staff.