OVERRULED With Scott Vicknair
ISSUE TWENTY SIX| June 2025
IN THIS ISSUE
CaseResult-FromRuined RetailtoRunway-WorthyWin Grit,Growth,andGivingBackCheckOuttheLateston OVERRULED FavoriteLemonBars
BookReview:LivingWiththe Monks
Public Product, Private Data: How Insurers Keep Louisiana in the Dark
Whatiscausingourinsuranceratestobehigh?Aswith mostthingsinlife,itiscomplicated.
Asanexercise,however,Google"tortreform,"clickon "News,"andyouwillseearticlescurrentlydescribing SouthCarolina,Georgia,Florida,Texas,Oklahoma,and Louisianaas"judicialhellholes."Somanyjudicial hellholes.
Thisisamultimillion-dollarlobbyingandpublic relationscampaignwagedbyinsuranceindustry groupsacrossthecountryduringthelegislative sessionsofeachofthesestates.Littlefacts,little informationdisclosedbylobbyists,andvilificationof peoplewhoareinjuredandtheirlawyers Andlittle appetitetosolveaproblem.
Loweringinsuranceratesforeveryoneshouldbethe goal Butwecan'tbegindiscussinghowtodothat withoutaccurateinformation
Theonlyplacetofindhowprofitabletheinsurance companiesareinLouisianaistheNationalAssociation ofInsuranceCommissioners(NAIC),whichshowsthat in2022,Louisianawasthe16thmostprofitable homeownersinsurancestatefortheinsurance industry,witha59.8%lossratio.In2023,itwasthe8th mostprofitablewitha57.1%lossratio.Likewise, Louisiana's2022privateautoinsuranceratiowas 7499%,beatingtheaverageof8015%countrywide,and in2023,itwas66.27%,beatingthenationalaverageof 75.41%.
Yet,theinsurersclaimtheyarelosingmoneyin Louisiana Workingofflimiteddatathattheinsurance commissionerorindustrywilldiscloseisbaffling:
Theinsurancecommissionerhasnotrequiredany insurancecarriertodisclosetheirLouisianaexpenses tothepublic,sowedonotknowwhattheyare spendingmoneyon.
Theinsurancecommissionerhasnotrequiredthe Louisianainsurerstoincludetheir"float"investment returns(themoneytheymakeinvestingour premiumsuntilaclaimispaid)intheirprofitability analysis,norhasthecommissionermadethat availabletothepublic
Theinsurancecommissionerhasnotregulatedor disclosedanyservicecompanyprofitsthatthe insurancecarriersaremakingwiththird-party companiestheyown,whichservicetheinsurance companies.
Untiltheinsurancecommissioner'sofficerequiresand disclosestheaboveinformation,wecannevertruly discernhowprofitableLouisiana'sautoinsuranceand homeowners'insurancecarriersare.Allofusdeserveto knowtheaboveandhaveacommissionerwhowillview insuranceprofitinthissense–thesearenottrulyprivate companies,butpubliclyregulatedentities,fromwhich Louisiana'scitizensarerequiredlegallytobuyaproduct.
Untilwedo,wecannothaveanhonestdiscussionabout insurancepremiumsinLouisiana
David Vicknair
Partner
OntheMic:StoriesofGrit,Growth&GivingBack
Our latest podcast episodes celebrate resilience, real-world wisdom,andeverydayheroesmakinganimpact
We kick things off with Thomas Matthews, who went from cutting hair to building businesses in real estate and restaurants KatherineIsrael,alongtimeeducatorandthe2024 winner of our “High Seas and ABCs” teacher cruise giveaway, shares her inspiring shift from nursing to teaching - and the power of patience and humor. Brian Katz, personal injury attorney and President of the Louisiana Association for Justice, breaks down rising insurance costs, tort reform myths, and policyimpacts Finishingstrong,Dr.AngeliqueArcuri,founderof Luxury Studio and the Luxury Girls Golf Club, shares how she's creating empowering spaces for women in beauty and business.
Whether you ' re an entrepreneur educator or just love a good
FavoriteLemonBars
2 ¼ c unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
½ c. powdered sugar, sifted
1 c. cold butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 tablespoon-size pieces
½ tsp. baking powder
4 large eggs
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon peel
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
To make the crust, in a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of flour and the powdered sugar. Toss the butter pieces into the flour mixture. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly Firmly press mixture into the lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Set on a wire rack to cool.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining ¼ c. flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon peel to the eggs and mix until combined. Whisk the flour and baking powder mixture into the egg mixture. Once mixed, pour the batter over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before serving. When ready to serve, cut into squares and sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Bars must be stored in the refrigerator. Keeps for about 2-3 days.
AfterHurricaneIda,ourclient’s beautyretailstoreinNewOrleans sufferedtwodevastatingthefts, leavingtheirinventoryinruins.The insurancecompany?Theyoffered lessthan10%ofthedamages. Througharbitration,wesecureda7figuresettlement-over$1milliontodelivertheultimateglowup.
1.SendyourPersonalInjury& SuccessioncallerstoScottVicknair: Whenyourintaketeamgetsacallfrom someoneinjuredinanaccidentordealing withestateissues,havethemgathersome basicdetailsaboutthecaller(andalso providethemwithourdirectintakeline 504-977-2044).Yourintaketeamcansend theinformationto referrals@scottvicknair.com.
2.ReferredClientSignswithScott Vicknair:
Ourintaketeamwillcontactthereferred client(iftheydon’tcallusfirst),andwe’ll starttheonboardingprocess.Whenthe referredclientsigns,ourteamwillcontact yourfirmandletyouknow.Asalways,we willmakeyoutheHEROintheeyesofthe clientthroughoutthecase
3.WeHandletheirLegalIssueand MakeYoutheHERO:
ScottVicknairwillensuretheclientknows thatthereferringlawfirm(YOU)are playingasignificantroleinhelpingthem byconnectingthemtotherightattorney andrestoringtheirpeaceofmind.Wewill keepyouinvolvedthroughoutthecase, andtelltheclientiftheyeverhavelegal issuestocontactyourfirmfirst.
Living
with
the Monks
Irecently revisitedLiving withtheMonks byJesseItzler.In ourfast-paced legalworld,this bookoffersa much-needed reminderof somethingweall know-butoften
forget:sometimes,themost productivethingwecandois slowdown
Itzler,anentrepreneurand enduranceathlete,spent15days livinginaremotemonastery withtheNewSketemonksin upstateNewYork Farfrombeing areligiousmemoir,thebookis reallyaboutintentionalliving,
mindfulness,andrethinkingwhat mattersmost It’sfunny,honest, andsurprisinglypractical.
Whatstruckmeonthissecond readishowmuchclarityand creativitycomewhenwe intentionallycreatespace-away fromnoise,screens,andconstant motion.Thatspaceiswherewe candoourbestthinking, reconnectwithourpurpose,and makebetterdecisions
Forallofusjugglingdeadlines, cases,andclientdemands,Living withtheMonksisatimely reminder:slowingdownisn’t laziness-it’sstrategy Highly recommendpickingthisoneup again,especiallyifyou’reoverdue forareset.
Sometimesthebestmoveforward startswithastepback
Brad Scott
Partner
