Auto Repair Legislation Stalls in Rhode Island

July 2, 2009

The Rhode Island Senate has declined to take up auto body legislation opposed by the insurance industry.

The bill would have required consumers to have an independent appraisal for car repair work that exceeded $2,000.

The legislation had been supported by the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island, a trade group for auto body repairers.

But the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) fought the bill, saying it would make the car repair process more costly and time-consuming for owners.

“These days even a minor fender bender is likely to meet the $2,000 threshold, so consumers would have been forced to deal with unnecessary delays in getting their vehicles repaired. This bill would have contributed to the high cost of auto body repairs and with Rhode Island being the most expensive state in the nation to get a car repaired, it would have been more bad news for consumers,” said Frank O’Brien, vice president and regional manager for PCI.

Topics Auto Legislation

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