Oct. 4, 2017—After a Texas jury found that John Eagle Collision owes $31.5 million for performing an improper repair, Todd Tracy, who heads, Tracy Law Firm, is now going after State Farm.
Matthew and Marcia Seebachan, the couple involved in the crash, had temporarily dismissed their cases against State Farm—which alleged the insurer influenced an auto repair that didn’t meet OEM specifications in order to increase its bottom line—becuase it conflicted with the John Eagle court dates.
Now, Tracy has refiled the related lawsuit against State Farm, according to Dallas News. He alleges the insurance company bullied John Eagle into using the lower-cost approach. He said other insurers pressure body shops to cut corners, too. The lawsuit seeks only $1 in damages, just to send a message.
"If we get the word out and tell the insurance companies, 'Stay away. Take your insurance premiums and do what's right,' then I think we are going to save a lot of people," he says.
Chris Pilcic, a spokesman for State Farm, said comments made about the insurer in the lawsuit "are not supported by the facts."
"Additionally, they are not in line with State Farm's mission to serve the needs of our customers and our long, proud history of advancing vehicle safety," he says.
Todd Tracy and John Eagle Collision Center released a joint statement Tuesday, agreeing to work together "to improve safety standards in the nation's collision repair industry."
The joint statement comes just one day after a Texas jury found that John Eagle Collision owes $31.5 million for performing an improper repair that led to a couple being trapped in a burning car.
Now that John Eagle has been assigned 75 percent liability in the case, Erica Eversman, a collision repair attorney for Vehicle Information Services, says that the verdict could become a watershed moment that will affect collision-insurer relationships and increase public awareness of OEM procedures. It has the potential to lead to a class action lawsuit, she said.
