Congress Again Considers Cash for Clunkers Program
Congress is again considering a “Cash for Clunkers” bill that would offer assistance in buying new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Earlier this year, funding for the Cash for Clunkers program was removed from the economic stimulus bill. H.B. 1550, the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act, was recently introduced by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH).
Letters to the Editor
The New DRP I was confused by your January 2009 cover story [“The New DRP,” pg. 22]. There are so many reasons why DRPs should be banned, and even though the article touches on the fact that many people in the collision repair industry feel that way, it takes on a defeated tone. Rather than
Nevada Bill Would Increase Total Loss Threshold
The Nevada Assembly is considering a bill that would change the definition of total loss vehicle by increasing the damage threshold. A.B. 447 mandates that repairs to a damaged vehicle would have to cost at least 100 percent of the vehicle’s fair market value at the time of the crash for the vehicle to be
Bill Would Remove Anti-Trust Exemption from Insurance Companies
The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that would remove the federal antitrust exemption from the insurance industry. In repealing the exemption, the Insurance Industry Competition Act would give the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to apply antitrust laws to anticompetitive behavior by insurance companies but would
New Kentucky Law Removes Airbags from Total Loss Calculations
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed H.B. 309, which removes the cost of airbag replacement from 75 percent total loss calculations, into law on March 20. The new rule will be effective in October. The law also stipulates that insurers are bound by terms and conditions of individual policies relating to airbag reinstallation and that vehicle
Got Your Number
It takes a lot of guts to put your cell phone and home telephone numbers on the wall in your front lobby under the heading, “Please Complain.” But Marsh Gluchow, owner of Valley Motor Center in Van Nuys, Calif., wouldn’t have it any other way. “Customer care is what I talk about most with my
Insurer-Owned Shop Bill Introduced in Nevada
A bill introduced in the Nevada Assembly is designed to prevent insurance companies from acquiring or opening collision repair facilities and would place restrictions on pre-existing relationships between insurance companies and shops they own interest in, referred to as “tied shops.” The bill, A.B. 297, would make the relationship between an insurer and tied shop
Missouri Eyes Anti-Steering Legislation
The Missouri House of Representatives is considering a bill that would prevent steering by insurance companies. The bill, H.B. 834, would require that estimates for damage claims written on behalf of an insurer include a written notice that says the following: NOTICE UNDER MISSOURI LAW, THE VEHICLE OWNER AND/OR LESSEE HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE
California Bill Would Mandate Insurer Assessments Not Be Used As Estimates
A bill introduced in the California Assembly would require insurers to disclose in writing to claimants that any damage assessment made by the insurer is not a written estimate of repair costs and that only facilities licensed by the state Board of Autobody Repair can write an estimate. The bill, A.B. 1179, is supported by
Two Federal Bills Seek to Strengthen Total Loss Reporting Rules Effective April 1
The U.S. Department of Justice recently released the final rules for the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), created by a 1992 law to prevent title washing. The rules, which go into effect April 1, will require insurers to report vehicles that have been declared total losses under state law and by their own