37 YEARS
SOUTHEAST EDITIO N
AUTOBODY AL / FL / GA / MS / NC / SC / TN / VA / WV
New Lawsuit by State Farm Highlights Legislative Logjam Over PIP Reform in FL by Michael Moline, Florida Politics
Florida’s no-fault insurance system continues to generate fraud, judging by allegations in a lawsuit that insurer State Farm filed in federal court. The suit, filed in the Southern District of Florida on August 1, alleges three clinics cheated it out of $4.7 million. Will suits like these help break the policy logjam that has prevented the legislature from responding to problems with the state law requiring motorists to carry personal-injury protection (PIP) policies?
Not necessarily, according to Sen. Tom Lee. The Thonotosassa Republican’s PIP repeal bill died in committee last session. That was amid wrangling with the House over whether to mandate that drivers carry at least $5,000 in medical coverage. “The problem has to become more painful than the solution for consensus to develop in the legislature,” Lee said in a telephone interview. “It was clear last year that we just weren’t there yet.” Like Lee, Rep. Erin Grall, the Vero Beach Republican who carried See PIP Reform in FL, Page 16
Discussion at CIC Highlights Dramatic Changes Coming to the Industry by John Yoswick
Michael Simon, director of strategic accounts for Bosch Automotive, is the latest to remind the industry that the absence of any dash warning lights doesn’t mean a vehicle doesn’t need to be scanned. “And the diagnostic codes do not point to a repair, only a symptom,” Simon said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta in August. “If a doctor takes your blood pressure and your blood pressure is high, what does that mean? He’s got to figure out if it’s hyper-
tension, is it stress in life, or what’s going on. It’s the same thing with codes. What does that code mean? It says something isn’t working right, but it still requires you to diagnose.” In his presentation at CIC, Simon made it clear that he was speaking personally rather than as a representative of Bosch. He said the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in new vehicles today are part of the automakers’ learning mode on the road to autonomous vehicles. “This is the start of the biggest economic and social shift of the last See Discussion at CIC, Page 20
AUTOBODYNEWS.COM
Vol. 9 / Issue 7 / September 2018
ACA Joins Auto Groups Opposing Tariffs in Open Letter to President Trump The Auto Care Association joined a coalition of major auto industry groups representing nearly 10 million jobs in the United States to urge the Trump administration to avoid imposing additional tariffs on imported autos and auto parts. In an open letter to President Trump, the seven auto groups urged the president that, “Raising tariffs on
autos and auto parts would be a massive tax on consumers who buy or service their vehicles—whether imported or domestically produced. These higher costs will inevitably lead to declining sales and the loss of American jobs, as well as increasing vehicle service and repair costs that may result in consumers delaying critical vehicle maintenance.”
U.S. Sen. Doug Jones Says He’s Hoping to Halt Proposed Auto Tariffs by William Thornton, AL.com
On July 18, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said he and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) are working to craft a “solution” to proposed tariffs on imported automobiles, which they say could negatively impact U.S. jobs. “We hope to introduce that proposal as early as next week, after consulting with our automotive manufacturers and working with our colleagues to grow bipartisan support
for this legislation,” Jones said in remarks on the Senate floor in Washington. “I realize that folks affected by these proposed tariffs are looking for a silver bullet to stop them dead in their tracks. Right now, the only silver bullet in this case is for the President to change his mind and recognize how many jobs are at risk because of these proposed tariffs. Until that happens, we’re going to fight to protect what our states and our workers have earned.” See Hearings on Tariffs, Page 57
Car Crashes Into GA Body Shop... for the 8th Time by Tom Regan, WSB-TV
Business owners are calling for a crackdown on speeding and street racing after yet another car plowed into a repair shop in DeKalb County, GA.
A car crashed into a business on Moreland Avenue. Credit: WSB-TV
Owners Maleek and Michael Parrish told Channel 2’s Tom Regan that this is at least the eighth time in the last few years that a car has hit the shop. The stretch of Moreland Av-
enue, where the business is located, is known as a hot spot for street racing. “I don’t want a guy to get killed actually trying to make a living for his family. But the guys racing the cars don’t even care,” Parrish told Channel 2. The Parrishes came to the shop around midnight after an alarm went off. When they arrived, they discovered that a Dodge Charger on its side had plowed through a wall. DeKalb police cited and released the car’s owner, who walked away unharmed. He told police he had purchased the car a week ago. The owners said that they would like to see more aggressive enforcement of speeding and for guardrails to be installed to protect their business. We thank WSB-TV for reprint permission.
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