The Alliance of Automotive Providers of Massachusetts recently met with lawmakers to advocate for bills requiring insurers to reimburse labor rates adjusted for inflation. "We have already made tremendous strides during this current legislative session to possess our voices heard with respect to consumers, and that we look forward to...

We’ve been focusing on total loss valuations lately after consumer advocates have raised the prospect of totals being flipped to repairable vehicles upon reevaluation of pricing. Our coverage so far has cope with overall actual cash value assessments — after all, that final dollar value determines whether you’ll be repairing...

Another consumer advocate has reported encountering multiple instances of vehicles totaled because of erroneously low valuations. Upon further scrutiny, the vehicles’ revised valuations suggested a number of them might have been repairable, according to ZB Claim Services President John Walczuk. The assessment is similar to an analysis by Texas appraiser...

A Ford assuring Farm yearlong study of advanced driver assistance system build data seems to provide further confirmation that such technology can lower the danger for insurers — and then the business coming to body shops. Drilling down to build data revealed that some Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles dating...

A proposed class action suit continues to be filed against the Progressive Corporation in Ny federal court accusing the insurer of underpaying total loss claims by making use of an arbitrary and deceptive valuation adjustment. The suit claims that Progressive "systemically thumbs the scale" against claimants by making use of...

Collision Industry Conference participants last week suggested the auto insurance industry may not be training sufficiently to judge repair plans for modern vehicles. Repairers also discussed failing among claims personnel to comprehend the variety within the modern vehicle fleet and the shop preparation essential to fix those vehicles. This could...

Society of Collision Repair Specialists Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg this month confirmed that Allstate will continue to handle third-party car rental coverage on a direct-bill basis, allowing the claimants to avoid having to come up with the cash themselves. Schulenburg told the SCRS open board meeting July 14 that motorists...

Insurers might be attempting to combat claim severity by denying reimbursement for required repair operations, instead of address the problem where it can truly be solved, with different discussion at the July 15 Collision Industry Conference. Effectively, insurers are lashing out at consumers and the body shops as opposed to...

Toyota has rewritten its Collision Repair Information Bulletin No. 65 on clear coat to mandate body shops follow the paint manufacturer’s requirements. “To keep vehicle quality and sturdiness, Toyota and Lexus require all refinish repairs to follow the application guidelines from the applicable paint manufacturer,” the OEM wrote in the...

An Arizona couple has sued State Farm for breach of contract and a insufficient good faith within the insurer’s alleged behavior on their 2021 Nissan Pathfinder auto body repair claim. State Farm refused to cover a brand new quarter panel and new outer wheel well on Jason and Melissa Wilhelm’s...