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Fmr. U.S. Sen. Fred D. Thompson and Other Lawyers Allege State Farm Court Fraud in Avery v. State Farm This month a group of lawyers filed a petition accusing State Farm Insurance of defrauding the Illinois Supreme Court by covering up its “extraordinary support of Justice (Lloyd) Karmeier’s campaign and to thwart State Supreme Justice Karmeier’s Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier disqualification” from the Avery v State Farm class-action case originally tried in 1999. Lloyd Karmeier was the successful 2004 Republican candidate in the most expen-
sive state judicial race in U.S. history, which was conducted during the appeal of Avery v State Farm. The petition is based on an investigation by former FBI agent Michael Reece. Reece stated in his affidavit accompanying the petition: “The bottom line of my investigation is that State Farm used the Illinois Civil Justice League to elect Judge Karmeier and Judge Karmeier knew it.” While there are no hard and fast rules as to when a Justice should recuse himself the U.S. Supreme Court said a WV appelate court judge should have recused himself in a case because he reSee Avery Claims Fraud Page 27
State Insurance Divisions Differ From One Another in Terms of Addressing Repairer Concerns Some Success Stories For decades, shops in many states have taken concerns about auto insurer practices to insurance divisions only quite often to be told, in essence, that such regulators are there to address consumer complaints about insurers, not business-to-business issues. But even that mission isn’t being met well in some states. When John Doak took the helm of the Oklahoma Insurance Department earlier this See Insurance Commissioners, Page 42
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
It’s a common complaint among collision repairers: It’s not worth contacting the state insurance commissioner’s office because they don’t do anything about our complaints. Yet in recent months, some state insurance commissioners have taken actions cheered by some shops, from radically changing their department’s focus, to issuing bulletins reminding insurers of state laws on steering or other shop-related activities. What has led to these changes, and does it mean now is a good time
for shops to reassess their interactions with state insurance regulators?
Change Service Requested
by John Yoswick
VOL. 1 ISSUE 7 OCTOBER 2011
www.autobodynews.com
Training Schedule for the NACE/CARS Expo Oct. 5–8 at the Orlando Convention Center The 29th Annual International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) show will take place from October 5 through 8 at the Orange
Weds. October 5
Choose from 28 Training Classes Six Add-On Education Courses ASRW Industry Forum, 4:30 pm
Thurs. October 6
County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The full schedule consists of 80+ courses/classes, with some repeats. See pages 31 and 40–41.
Fri. October 7
Choose from 25 new Training Classes Muscle Car Network of FL display I-CAR Tech Showcase continues
Sat. October 8
General Session—Chris Brogan, 8:30 Choose from 16 new Training Classes MSO Symposium ASRW Town Hall, Health Care, 3:00 pm Exhibits Open at 10:00 am Exhibits close at 3:00 pm ASRW Welcome Reception See NACE Schedule, Page 31 Choose from 14 new Training Classes
Chip Foose on Bringing it to SEMA by Chip Foose
The SEMA show (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) has always been a big part of Foose Design. I have personally been attending for well over 25 years. Some of our guys at Foose Design first attended more than 25 years ago. One of them even Chip Foose went to the very first SEMA show when it was under the bleachers at Dodger Stadium! For the past ten years Foose Design has
featured or unveiled specialty vehicles at SEMA. For three years in a row we built cars live in front of the SEMA audience for TLC’s TV Show Overhaulin’. We were proud in 2005 when Foose Design featured total of 32 Foose Vehicles at SEMA, a record for any designer/fabricator and more than any of the OEM’s that year. So, needless to say, we have history at SEMA. For SEMA 2011 Foose design will be featuring three vehicles. We are currently working feverishly like all of the other shops to make the deadline. This year we will be proudly displaying the following Foose Design vehicles: See Foose Brings It, Page 21
Join Rich Evans, Chip Foose, and Charley Hutton (and many more) at the SEMA and AAPEX shows, November 1-4 in Las Vegas. Highlights: see page 60.
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Ontario, Ca. Permit No. 1