Insurance Expert Witness Texas — David A. Offutt
David A. Offutt is a licensed Texas insurance professional retained as an expert witness in insurance litigation for both plaintiff and defense counsel. His analysis is grounded in 20 years of active practice, graduate-level economics training, and direct knowledge of Texas insurance statutes — not secondhand recollection of a career left behind. When a case turns on what should have happened inside an insurance transaction, David provides the analytical foundation to establish or rebut that standard.
Analyst, not advocate. David’s role is to provide objective, evidence-based opinions on insurance industry standards, policy interpretation, and carrier and agent conduct. He does not take sides. He takes a position based on the facts, the policy, and the law.
Qualifications
| Credential | Detail |
|---|---|
| Texas Insurance License | License #1465807 — Active since 2007 (20 years continuous practice) |
| Graduate Education | MS in Economics, University of North Texas |
| Undergraduate Education | BS in Economics, University of Texas at Arlington |
| Published Author | Understanding Insurance in Simple English (Amazon, co-authored with Kevin Feldman) |
| Textbook Author | Authored Texas insurance licensing exam prep textbooks in active use statewide |
| CE Educator & Founder | Founded Texas Real Estate Academy — TREC-approved continuing education provider |
| Active Production | Writing Texas insurance policies today — current, not historical, market knowledge |
| Industry Reach | Nearly 3,000 realtor referrals over career — deep Texas real estate and insurance nexus |
| Geographic Base | Born and raised Fort Worth, TX — Texas-rooted career from day one |
Areas of Expert Analysis
David A. Offutt provides expert witness services across the core categories of Texas insurance litigation. Each case type has its own dedicated page with a full analysis of David’s methodology and the specific opinions he is qualified to provide.
Bad Faith & Hail/Storm Claims
Texas led the nation with 1,123 hail events in 2023, making storm-related bad faith the most active area of Texas insurance litigation. David analyzes carrier conduct under TX Insurance Code §541 and §542 — including the timeliness of investigations, the adequacy of denial letters, and whether payment decisions reflected industry-standard practice. He understands, from direct experience, what a policyholder’s reasonable expectations are at each stage of the claims process.
Coverage Disputes — Policy Interpretation
Policy language disputes require someone who has spent 20 years reading, explaining, and placing insurance policies professionally. David provides opinions on scope of coverage, exclusion applicability, and endorsement conflicts — analyzing whether a carrier’s coverage position was reasonable and consistent with how the policy language is understood in standard Texas practice. He has written textbooks on exactly these concepts and can explain complex policy terms clearly to a judge or jury.
Agent/Broker Errors & Omissions — Standard of Care
David’s most distinctive lane. Most insurance experts come from the carrier or adjuster side. David comes from the agent side — he is actively writing policies today. He opines on what a reasonably prudent Texas insurance agent should have done at point of sale: what coverage options were required to be discussed, what disclosures were obligatory, what documentation should have been created, and whether the policy placed matched the client’s stated needs. This gap in most expert panels is David’s primary differentiator.
Homeowner Claims — Fire, Water, and Wind
Fire, water, and wind claims generate the largest volume of homeowner insurance disputes in Texas. David analyzes these cases from both ends of the transaction: the policy as sold and placed, and the claim as handled by the carrier. His economics background supports rigorous analysis of damages calculations, ACV versus RCV methodology, and the reasonableness of reserve and payment decisions relative to the scope of loss.
Auto Insurance — UM/UIM Disputes
Uninsured and underinsured motorist disputes frequently turn on policy language, coverage stacking questions, and the adequacy of the insurer’s pre-litigation settlement offer. David provides analysis on whether the coverage placed was appropriate for the insured’s risk profile, whether the carrier’s position was consistent with Texas law and industry norms, and whether the agent fulfilled the standard of care in offering and explaining UM/UIM coverage at the time of sale.
The Agent Perspective
Most insurance expert witnesses in Texas come from one of three backgrounds: former adjusters, former carrier executives, or insurance consultants who stepped away from active practice years ago. Their expertise concentrates at the claims end of the transaction — what the carrier did after a loss was reported.
David A. Offutt’s background is different. He is an active, producing Texas insurance agent. He writes policies. He sits across from policyholders and explains what they are and are not buying. He advises on coverage selections, documents the transaction, and takes responsibility for the advice he gives. He knows what a reasonably prudent Texas agent is trained to do, expected to do, and required to do — at the moment of sale and placement, before any claim exists.
In agent E&O cases, coverage dispute cases where the question begins with how the policy was written, and bad faith cases that implicate the initial transaction, this distinction matters. The central question is often not just what the carrier did — but what should have happened at the beginning of the relationship. David can answer that question from current, direct experience.
That perspective is genuinely rare in the Texas expert witness market. It is the foundation of some of David’s most distinctive and durable opinions.
Retain David A. Offutt
David A. Offutt accepts retention by plaintiff and defense counsel in Texas insurance litigation. All inquiries are handled directly and confidentially. Prior to any engagement, David will confirm availability and the absence of conflicts.
To initiate a retention discussion, be prepared to provide:
- The case type and the specific expert opinion you need to establish
- The jurisdiction (Texas state court, federal court, or arbitration)
- Your timeline for initial report delivery, if known
David is available for case analysis, written expert reports, deposition testimony, and trial testimony. His services are available to both plaintiff and defense counsel. He does not provide legal advice, and his opinions are analytical in all engagements.
Contact David A. Offutt directly to discuss whether his background fits your expert witness need.