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Couple Injured in Honda Fit Case Awarded $31.5 M from Shop, Tracy Firm Resumes State Farm Lawsuit by Ed Attanasio
On Oct. 2, a Texas jury found that John Eagle Collision Center’s improper repair was liable for the severity of the crash of a 2010 Honda Fit, awarding the injured couple $42 million in damages, but assigning 25% blame to the driver of the other vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Tundra, leaving the shop responsible for 75 percent of the couple’s injuries, and owing approximately $31.5 million under the verdict. Attorney Todd Tracy, who represented plaintiffs Matthew and Marcia Seebachan, was pleased with the award and not at all surprised with
the result. “I think it was vindication for the Seebachans in many ways,” Tracy said. “Once the jury weighed all of the evidence and went through the testimony, they could clearly see that most of the liability rested with the body shop. One of the more influential members of the jury said that John Eagle Collision Center made a business decision when they glued the roof instead of welding it on the Honda Fit. She concluded that since it was a bad decision, the shop had to pay for it and the award indicates that thinking.” See $42M Verdict, Page 9
The New Car Paint Lexus Spent 15 Years Creating by Richard Aucock, Motoring Research
Lexus has launched a new color called Structural Blue—after spending a staggering 15 years developing the paint technology behind it. However, painting cars with it is so complex,
only two Structural Blue cars a day can be made. The firm has been working for the past decade and a half with a specialist company in California to invent the new paint. VIAVI Solutions Inc. is an expert in thin-film optical coatings, and has helped Lexus take the Structural Blue color into production. Originally shown as a concept, the first iteration of the color was made up of no fewer than 40 layers. The two companies reduced this down to seven layers, which are ap-
VOL. 8 ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER 2017
Texas Shops Speak Out Against Photo Estimating by Chasidy Rae Sisk
Since insurance companies began utilizing cell phone apps for photo estimating a few years ago, it has become a topic of great concern among many collision repair professionals.
Although the insurer estimated repairs on this 2015 BMW at $1,044.19, shop manager Chad Kiffe predicts the repair will cost over $7,000
Although insurers claim that photo estimating is more convenient for consumers, collision repair indus-
try leaders have predicted that the short-term convenience may be negated by additional time required for supplements, as well as the potential for consumers to receive less money for diminished value than they’re owed. Now that they’ve been involved with this process for some time, shops in Texas are finally speaking out about how photo estimating impacts the repair process and the consumer experience. Chad Kiffe, General Manager for Berli’s Body & Fine Auto Finishes, says, “Photo apps allow the consumer to start their claim faster without the need to go to a shop for an estimate. This is a big plus for consumers when considering the value of their time, but photos very rarely show the extent of damages due to numerous reasons, resulting in poor estimates. This causes unnecessary delays since most photo See Photo Estimating, Page 28
Hurricane Irma Could Have Wiped Out 400,000 Vehicles by Staff, F&I and Showroom
As many as 400,000 vehicles in Florida will need to be replaced as a result of Hurricane Irma, including as many as 11,000 fleet vehicles, according to Cox Automotive.
See Structural Blue, Page 14
When added to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey in southeastern Texas, Jonathan Smoke, Cox Automotive’s chief economist, estimates that as many as 1 million vehicles will need to be replaced as a result of the two storms. Much of Hurricane Irma’s damage came in southwest Florida, in-
cluding the Florida Keys, Fort Myers, and Tampa. Commercial fleets likely suffered the brunt of the storm’s impact, as larger rental operators mostly moved their vehicles into parking garages to protect them from the wind and rain. “We were able to move most of the units to cover and they weren’t damaged or flooded out,” said Lisa Martini, an Enterprise spokesperson. “That made a big difference for us.” Hertz also saw minimal damage to its rental fleet in Florida, said Karen Drake, a spokesperson for Hertz Holdings. Enterprise has reopened most of its Florida offices, except for those in Naples and Key West, where it operates airport rental facilities at Key West International Airport and Florida Keys Marathon Airport. Unlike Hurricane Harvey, which caused heavy flooding, Hurricane Irma See 400K Cars, Page 16
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