AASP/NJ's perspective on infamous Texas court case

Aug. 28, 2017
The now infamous court case in which attorney Todd Tracy and his clients are suing John Eagle Collision Center for more than $1 million due to negligence has made headlines on countless news outlets, and speaks to a number of concerns collision repairers face every day.
One of the most pressing issues currently affecting every aspect of the collision repair industry comes out of Dallas, Texas. The now infamous court case in which attorney Todd Tracy and his clients are suing John Eagle Collision Center for more than $1 million due to negligence has made headlines on countless news outlets, and speaks to a number of concerns collision repairers face every day.

The body shop in question bonded a replacement roof to the couple's 2010 Honda Fit rather than using the welds, as per the Honda OEM repair procedures. The couple was trapped inside the burning Honda after crashing into a hydroplaning 2010 Toyota Tacoma. The case sheds light on common insurer/repairer relations, and people across the nation have been keeping an eye on the effects this case will have on the collision repair industry. As for AASP/NJ, both President Jeff McDowell and Executive Director Charles Bryant spoke to the proceedings in Dallas. "As far as the facts of the case go, nobody's going to know what the real truths are until this gets to court," McDowell opined. "This is definitely a big up wake up call to the industry as a whole-not just to the collision repairers, but to the insurance industry as well." "This is bringing a ton of attention to body shops regarding insurance companies, and what they will and won't pay for," Bryant echoed. "The shops should be the ones deciding what it takes to repair the car, and they should be getting paid to do it. Insurance companies come in, and they'll only pay for certain things, and it really is causing people to have unsafe cars. "I think it's very important someone addresses situations of insurance companies dictating how cars get repaired and limiting payment to what they want to pay for. That's a job for qualified collision repair shops. The job of the insurer is to insure, but also to pay for these cars to be repaired correctly and safely-not to come out and dictate. They're shifting what their position is and acting as if they have rights they just don't have. Hopefully this case brings out these kinds of concerns throughout the industry." For all involved in the industry, this case is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on. For more information on AASP/NJ, please go to aaspnj.org.

About the Author

ABRN Wire Reports

These are press releases approved by our ABRN Editors

Sponsored Recommendations

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

The Autel IA700: Advanced Modular ADAS is Here

The Autel IA700 is a state-of-the-art and versatile wheel alignment pre-check and ADAS calibration system engineered for both in-shop and mobile applications...

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.