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Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association Hosts ‘Industry Day’ of Sessions and Speakers
Industry Day Keynote Speaker Chuck Sulkala
The Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association sponsored a local
Industry Day on June 14 with Guest Speakers Chuck Sulkala, Mike Sprinkle with DuPont, along with Tri-State Coatings, Car-O-Liner, 3M, and Software Works Consulting. The group had a very diverse crowd in attendance. Shop owners shop managers, estimators, production foremen, body techs and a group of future technicians soon to enter the industry attended the event. Shops were represented from East Texas, SW Arkansas, and NW Louisiana. Everyone was welcomed by the See Industry Day, Page 6
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 year, he quickly announced he was reorganSee Insurance Commissioners, Page 20
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. 29 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2011
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 disqualification” Lloyd Karmeier from the Avery v State Farm class-action case originally tried in 1999. Lloyd Karmeier was the successful 2004 Republican candidate
in the most expensive 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 See Avery v. State Farm, Page 30
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 22–23 and 39.
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 Choose from 14 new Training Classes See NACE Schedule, Page 22
Join Rich Evans, Chip Foose, and Charley Hutton (and many more) at the SEMA and AAPEX shows, November 14 in Las Vegas. Highlights: see page 15.
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Ontario, Ca. Permit No. 1