BREAKING NEWS: Two Events at the SEMA Show to Learn More About the $42 Million Verdict from Texas
Prosser, Washington, October 16 , 2017 – The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has created two events that will put SEMA Show attendees in the room with Todd Tracy, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in Seebachan v. John Eagle Collision.
The first session, The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict has been newly added to the agenda as a result of the trial results. It will be held from 10:30am – 12:00 (noon) on Wednesday, November 1st in Ballrooms D-E in the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.
A registration link will soon be announced for this session, but SCRS wanted to provide ample opportunity for attendees who may need to amend their travel plans to attend.
If you are in the collision repair industry, there is perhaps no bigger news story right now than the verdict from October 1st, when a Texas jury found a Dallas-based collision repair center liable for incorrect repairs that led to increased severity in the crash of a 2010 Honda Fit. The jury awarded the owners of the vehicle a $42 million dollar verdict for injuries sustained as a result of the couple being trapped inside the burning vehicle. The collision repair facility was found responsible for 75 percent of the damages, and the details of Seebachan v. John Eagle Collision are likely to have rippling impacts across the collision repair landscape, and are critical for collision businesses performing repairs to understand and take heed of.
In The Anatomy of a Lawsuit: The Crucial Details of the $42 Million Verdict, Tracy will recount crucial details of the depositions, the trial, and the decision-making information presented to the jury that led to the precedent-setting verdict. Those details can:
- Help collision repair businesses avoid their own “$42 million dollar verdict.”
- Help clarify the facts that led a jury to conclude that OEM procedures were paramount.
- Define how business decisions made in the course of repair can have dramatic effect on both the repair outcome and ultimate responsibility.
Above understanding the intricacies of the case, understanding the liability implications is significant to collision repair business owners and operations.
On Thursday, November 2nd from 3:00pm – 5:00pm SCRS will host a panel during the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit that specifically addresses repairer liability concerns and realities.
The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities will be moderated by technologist and author, John Ellis, and will feature Tracy, and Attorney Erica Eversman (Vehicle Information Services), Mark Allen (Audi of America) and Aaron Clark (former shop owner.)
The panel will specifically address:
- An industry that is grappling with following manufacturer repair procedure requirements that are expected to be performed on every occasion.
- Insurance claims positioning that leans towards “case-by-case” approval.
- The implication of business decisions that can directly impact repair facility liability.
As the litigation in Texas exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, there isn’t a more critical discussion to participate in for today’s collision repair operator. Register today while space is available!
Registration for all Repairer Driven Education sessions during the SEMA Show can be secured at www.scrs.com/rde, or onsite outside the education classrooms.
For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit
www.scrs.com, call toll free 1-877-841-0660 or email us at info@scrs.com.
About SEMA and the SEMA Show:
The SEMA Show is a trade show produced by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a nonprofit trade association founded in 1963. Since the first SEMA Show debuted in 1967, the annual event has served as the leading venue bringing together manufacturers and buyers within the automotive specialty equipment industry. Products featured at the SEMA Show include those that enhance the styling, functionality, comfort, convenience and safety of cars and trucks. Additional details available at www.semashow.com or www.sema.org, or by phone at (909) 396-0289.
About SCRS’ RDE Series:
Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series will feature 5 days of seminar offerings, many of which are uniquely designed and being offered only at the 2017 SEMA Show, including the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit. The 2017 Repairer Driven Education Series is currently made possible with support from AASP, Audatex, AkzoNobel, American Honda, Axalta, BASF, CCC, Celette, DeBeer Refinish, Enterprise, Estify, Ford, GM, PBES, PPG, Pro Spot, RAE, Sherwin Williams, Spanesi and Toyota. Better your business by registering today at www.scrs.com/rde.
About SCRS:
Through its direct members and 38 affiliate associations, SCRS is comprised of 6,000 collision repair businesses and 58,500 specialized professionals who work with consumers and insurance companies to repair collision-damaged vehicles. Additional information about SCRS including other news releases is available at the SCRS website: www.scrs.com. You can e-mail SCRS at the following address: info@scrs.com.
SCRS Admin Office
877.841.0660
877.851.0660 Fax
info@scrs.com
Aaron Schulenburg
Executive Director | Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)
302.423.3537
877.435.6028 Fax
aaron@scrs.com
