36 YEARS
SOUTHEAST EDITION
AUTOBODY AL / FL / GA / MS / NC / SC / TN / VA / WV
AUTOBODYNEWS.COM
Vol. 9 / Issue 4 / June 2018
CA Jury Awards Fired Allstate Employee More Than $18 Million
SCRS Meeting Includes Election, Awards, Info Related to DEG
by Denise Johnson, Claims Journal
by Autobody News Staff
A former Allstate Insurance Co. employee who was fired following an arrest has been awarded more than $18 million in damages. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported a San Diego jury awarded 55-year-old Michael Tilkey about $2.6 million in actual damages and nearly $16 million in punitive damages in his wrongful termination lawsuit. Tilkey was fired by Allstate in 2016 after he was arrested in Arizona the prior year following an argument
he had with his then-girlfriend. According to the original complaint, Tilkey had worked for Allstate for 30 years, starting with the company soon after receiving his bachelor’s degree. He worked his way up to field sales leader, advising 30 independent agents and support staff. He alleged that despite his stellar work performance, he was fired without warning in May 2015. The reason given for his abrupt termination was that “threatening anyone” was against company policy. The prior year he stated he had been See CA Jury Awards, Page 24
AMi: Out of the Shadows
for years virtually invisible to the collision repair world. But this did not The Automotive Management Insti- belie the fact that AMi provided and tute, better known simply as AMi, continues to provide a great service began in 1989 as the Automotive for both the mechanical and collision Service Association Mansides of the business. Eventually, the organization beagement Institute. Perhaps because it was came known simply as AMi. so closely tied to the AutoAs described on its webmotive Service Association site, AMi is a 501(c)(3) (ASA), which focuses heavnonprofit organization dedily on the mechanical, rather icated to providing industhan the collision side of the try-recognized professional Jeff Peevy business, and/or perhaps bemanagement designations, cause AMi did not have a high-profile certificates and career paths to the person to represent the organization service and collision repair segments to the collision repair industry, AMi of the automotive industry. As a nonSee Out of the Shadows, Page 22 stood mostly in the shadows and was by Gary Ledoux
A fourth open seat on the board was filled by Dominic During several days of Brusco of PPG, who had events in Denver in midpreviously spent five years April, the Society of Collion the SCRS board earlier sion Repair Specialists this decade. He defeated in(SCRS) elected new board cumbent Mark Bodreau of Matthew members, presented several Caliber Collision, who durMcDonnell ing his 5-year term on the awards and held a meeting that offered presentations on techni- board had sold his Virginia collision cal issues and free tools available to repair business to that consolidator. SCRS Chairman Kye Yeung said Bothe industry. dreau had been “an integral Three current SCRS part of the board,” and hoped board members were rehe would continue to play a elected to another term. Rerole in the association. taining their seats on the board were Michael BradDuring discussions and presentations at the “open shaw of K&M Collision in North Carolina, Bruce Halmeeting” portion of the association’s board meeting in cro of Capital Collision CenAmber Alley Denver, Matthew McDonters in Montana and Paul See SCRS Meeting, Page 50 Sgro of Lee’s Garage in New Jersey.
Mike Anderson’s 3rd Webinar Discusses Nissan/ INFINITI Technology
have led him to determine that shops are not researching OEM repair proOn Monday, April 23, Mike Andercedures 100 percent of the time as son of Collision Advice presented they should be. the third webinar in his Learn to ReBecause of this, Collision Adsearch, Research to Learn series. The vice will be hosting a webinar with webinar focused on “Using Nissan/ a different OEM each month to raise INFINITI Technology.” awareness of the resources He was joined by Will each OEM offers to reLatuff of Latuff Brothers, search repair procedures. Justin Miller of Nissan He will guide attendees on a step-by-step tour of each and Mark Zoba of Nissan/ specific OEM’s website, inINFINITI. The webinar was cluding logging in, areas of created by Collision Advice the website and how to imin collaboration with FCA, Mike Anderson prove search results. He but Anderson also thanked file photo will also demonstrate how CIECA for its contributions to research some common proceto the industry. Explaining why he decided to dures needed by collision repairers, host these webinars, Anderson re- explore the differences between an ported that his annual Who Pays for OEM scan tool and aftermarket scan What surveys, conducted in con- tool and investigate OEM parts injunction with the Crash Network, See 3rd Webinar Discusses, Page 28 by Chasidy Rae Sisk
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