37 YEARS
NORTHEAST EDITIO N
AUTOBODY CT / DE / ME / MD / MA / NH / NJ / NY / PA / RI / VT
OEM Guideline Legislation Introduced in New York by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com
A bill in the New York state legislature outlines guidelines for the use of original equipment materials and procedures (OEM) in collision repair shops. The bill, also known as A8050, was introduced in the Assembly and was sponsored by Assemblyman William Magnarelli. If passed it would “require vehicle repair shops to follow OEM guidelines for collision repairs and [would] forbid insurance companies from requiring repair shops to deviate from those guidelines.” A8050 also states, there should
not be any deviation from OEM guidelines without the written authorization from the vehicle owner or the vehicle owner’s authorized representative. “…no motor vehicle repair shop shall deviate from the collision repair guidelines, procedures, recommendations and service bulletins issued by a vehicle or original equipment manufacturer in the repair of a collision damaged vehicle without the written authorization from the vehicle owner or the vehicle owner’s authorized representative,” a portion of the proposed legislation reads.
by David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat
Jackson Township, NJ, fire officials were dealing with a number of fallen trees, including ones that closed parts of Dishong Mountain and Blackburn roads on May 29 as storms continued to hit the region. Conemaugh Township Fire Department was sent to Quemahoning Dam Road, because wires were reported down along the roadway, while another fallen tree was removed from the area of Penn Avenue and Abex roads. “We’ve had residents call us re-
porting several trees falling on their properties—as many as ten,” Jackson Township Manager Dave Hirko said, blaming the combination of heavy rainfall and winds. At one point, Jackson Township Fire Department had water flowing into its own station bays, he added. “There’s just nowhere for the water to go,” Hirko said. A powerful thunderstorm on May 28 downed trees and utility lines, causing roadside issues across the region that responders continued working to address. See Body Shops Prepare, Page 12
Vol. 10 / Issue 4 / July 2019
Speaker Says Verdict Being Used by OEMs to Limit Use of Non-OEM Parts by John Yoswick
Automakers are pressing for state laws requiring the use of OEM collision repair procedures as part of their effort to limit the use of alternative parts, a representative of LKQ Corporation told a gathering of non-
See OEM Guideline, Page 4
Body Shops Prepare as Storms Go on Throughout the Northeast Region
AUTOBODYNEWS.COM
LKQ Corporation’s Ray Colas said automakers are using a verdict against a shop related to OEM repair procedures as part of their efforts to limit use of non-OEM parts
OEM parts manufacturers and distributors. “This is about money and profit,” Ray Colas, director of government affairs for LKQ Corporation, said at the Auto Body Parts Association (ABPA) convention held in May in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In the effort to pass state laws requiring the use of OEM procedures, automakers and repairers are pointing to the John Eagle Collision lawsuit, in which a dealership collision shop was successfully sued for not following OEM repair procedures on a vehicle in which a Texas couple, Matthew and Marcia Seebachan, were subsequently injured, Colas said. State lawmakers are being told that OEM procedure laws are needed See Non-OEM Parts, Page 22
SARC Brings Three State Associations Together to Address Common Concerns
his early experience with the industry when he was forced to personThe 2019 SARC meeting wrapped ally sue an insurer for seizing his up in New Orleans on Satproperty post accident. He urday, June 15, having enwas emphatic that this gaged attendees with talks opened his eyes to some of and panels featuring Jim the abuses routinely carried Hood, the Mississippi AG out by insurance compawho is currently running for nies. governor, Aaron SchulenOfficially hosted and orburg, Executive Director of ganized by MSCRA (MisAttorney General sissippi) and their Executive SCRS, as well as Pulitzer Jim Hood of Director, Ricki Garrett, and prize-winning political carMississippi President Doug White, the toonist Marshall Ramsey. Ramsey hosted a panel with event catered to repairers from MisBurl Richards, Doug White and sissippi, Louisiana and Texas in parMatt Parker on Mississippi’s Con- ticular, but all repairers and vendors sumer Guide to Insurance and Auto were welcome to attend then and in Body Repair, a document developed the future. by Hood’s Consumer Protection DiBurl Richards addressed The vision and available for download at John Eagle Case, recounting Attorwww .ago.state.ms.us. ney Todd Tracy’s efforts in the $42M See SARC 2019, Page 4 Attorney General Hood described by Autobody News Staff
PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA
PAID
Change Service Requested
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE