News
Texas Auto Policyholders Set to Receive Right-to-Appraisal Notice at Every Renewal Under Proposed TDI Rule
3+ week, 4+ day ago (363+ words) Every Texas auto policyholder will begin receiving a written notice of their right to invoke independent appraisal under proposed'Texas Department of Insurance'amendments that fold the new right-to-appraisal provision from Senate Bill 458 into the consumer-facing summary insurers issue with new and…...
Surging Negative Equity May Be Reshaping Collision Claim Behavior
3+ week, 5+ day ago (1127+ words) For collision repair'shops, that debt load is showing up in claim filing behavior, total loss frequency, and how shops are adapting to a market where insured volume is'shrinking'and financial pressure on vehicle owners is growing. Understanding why negative equity matters…...
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Class Action in State Farm Total-Loss Case
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (370+ words) Autobody News When a customer disagrees with an insurer's total-loss valuation, the path to challenging it just got narrower Court of Appeals for the Six Circuit ruled April 24 that a class of roughly 90, 000 Tennessee policyholders cannot pursue a collective lawsuit…...
HLDI Mazda Study Shows More ADAS Means Fewer Claims, But More Complex Repairs
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (509+ words) Stacking multiple crash avoidance technologies on the same vehicle produces compounding reductions in insurance claims, accordingto anew study from the Highway Loss Data Institute. But the crashes that remain tend to be more expensive, reinforcing a pattern collision repairers have…...
State Farm Announces Record $5 Billion Auto Dividend as Underwriting Results Rebound
3+ mon, 6+ day ago (375+ words) State Farm is returning$5 billionto eligible mutual auto policyholders in what the carrier calls thelargest dividend in its history. In anewsroom announcement, State Farm said it generated a$4. 6 billionunderwriting gain in auto in 2025 after prior-year losses, citing improved results and…...
Oregon Auto Insurance Rate Increases Could Signal More Pressure Ahead for Collision Repairers
4+ mon, 4+ day ago (865+ words) Rising premiums, weather volatility, and delayed repairs are reshaping claim behavior and forcing shops to adapt. A new report claims that while auto insurance rates are stabilizing or even declining in many parts of the country, Oregon is moving in…...
EV Collision Claims Hit Record High as Shops Face Shifting Repair Mix
5+ mon, 3+ week ago (594+ words) Mitchell data shows BEV claims reached 3. 21% in Q3 as tax credit deadline drove record sales; OEM parts dominate EV repairs at 85% of parts dollars. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) collision claims in the U. S. hit an all-time high in the third quarter of…...
Car Gurus Report: Affordability Pressures Drive Consumers Toward Hybrids and Older Used Cars, Reshaping Collision Repair Volume
5+ mon, 3+ week ago (757+ words) New'Car Gurus data shows hybrid sales jumped 33% in 2025 as used-vehicle supply rebounds, creating a potential sweet spot for independent shops. Affordability concerns defined automotive purchasing in 2025, with consumers shifting heavily toward hybrid powertrains and older used vehicles to escape rising…...
After Years of Hikes, Auto Insurers Are Now Cutting Rates in Several States
6+ mon, 1+ week ago (490+ words) Major insurers are filing for rate cuts in California, Florida, and Louisiana after steep increases. For shops, the underlying dynamics are worth watching. State Farm, California's largest auto insurer, filed for a 6. 2% rate reduction with the state's Department of Insurance,…...
SCRS Decries Lowering of Body Shop Labor Rates This Year By Some Auto Insurers
6+ mon, 4+ week ago (617+ words) Nearly a quarter of recently surveyed shops reported'at least one insurance company is currently paying a lower labor rate than it did in January. At least one recent industry survey found a significant percentage of shops reported one or more…...