Gunder’s Auto Center has announced that 15 insurers have now conceded to its new labor rate, which the shop increased in August to cover "reasonable and necessary" charges.
“It’s been a busy few weeks, and while 14 of the 15 insurers conceded without so much as a whimper, Infinity Insurance needed a bit of persuasion," said Ray Gunder, owner of the 44-year-old Gunder’s Auto Center in Lakeland, Fla. "With the help of our legal counsel, attorney Brent Geohagan, they too came to the right conclusion and are paying our new labor rates for body and refinishing as well as an elevated labor rate for frame/unibody repair. Of course, they’re also paying applicable legal fees and costs for the lawsuit as well."
To date, Gunder has 12 lawsuits pending against State Farm, Allstate, USAA and GEICO for their failure to pay “reasonable and necessary” allowances for labor and materials and five lawsuits for labor rates alone.
“I can’t express what a feeling of freedom and an incredible sense of independence it gives me to once again have control over my business and its destiny. Like many, I suppose, I had forgotten what it was like to operate my
business without others telling me what I could and couldn’t do," says Gunder. “For the first time in a long time, I’m able to offer my employees a pay raise. They have stuck with me through thick and thin, and it’s time they were rewarded for their loyalty and support.”
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