The Columbus Dispatch reported Dec. 29th that the Ohio Supreme Court, in a case involving a Columbus insurer, has ruled that laws protecting consumers from deceptive practices do not apply to insurance company vehicle repair estimates.

The justices determined that insurers providing repair estimates to their customers are not engaging in a “consumer transaction.”

The ruling, The Columbus Dispatch reported, stems from an appeal by Farmers Insurance of Columbus in a case in which a Coshocton County couple won $30,600 in damages in a dispute over the use of OEM parts in the repair of their 2-year-old sedan.

The couple, Jerry and Nancy Dillon, successfully sued using the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, which exposes companies to legal liability for unfair or deceptive acts.

The trial court initially found the Dillons were entitled to damages because Farmers Insurance failed to obtain their signatures on the estimate that was calculated with the use of non-original parts.

Click here to read the full story.