Back in March, I-CAR representatives, including the new I-CAR CEO, John VanAlstyne met with numerous representatives from various automotive trade associations from multiple North East States where an offer was proposed to I-CAR for the associations to get behind I-CAR and encourage their members to participate in I-CAR Training, including taking on the task of assisting with setting up and advertising training meetings in return for a discount for the members of the participating associations. I-CAR was supposed to consider the proposal and get back to the parties that participated in the meeting. To date and to my knowledge, the representatives of I-CAR, including Mr. VanAlstyne, have not responded back even to say “no thank you.” This is not the first time that this proposal has been on the table and not the first time that I-CAR has failed to follow through.
What makes things even worse is that I-CAR appears to be accepting insurance industry representatives as the acknowledged experts over the collision industry people that are actually repairing the vehicles. The fact is that simply taking I-CAR classes doesn’t make anyone an expert. To back up this statement one only need to go to court on an automotive related insurance claim issue in dispute and watch the process of qualifying the experts that are going to testify in the court proceedings. Usually the first question that is asked of the person being offered as an expert is how many vehicles have you ever repaired in your lifetime? Most of the time when an insurance appraiser is the party being presented as the expert, the answer is “none.” Or, that they have never actually repaired an automobile—as opposed to the average auto body shop owner who almost always grew up repairing automobiles. Naturally, the body shop is the only one that can be fully qualified as an expert on any judgment call issue such as a repair or replace issue. The appraiser’s testimony is usually limited to issues such as the price for parts listed in the estimating program along with the hours to perform the operation listed in the books or program. In other words, the testimony of the appraiser without any hands on experience in repairing automobiles is usually limited to the cost of the repairs rather than the proper method of repair.
Ultimately, the industry will get the training necessary to make the repairs on the complicated vehicles on the roads today. Unfortunately, it may not come from I-CAR, which would be a shame. Obviously, the training issue revolves around the associated cost. If the insurance industry is going to require specific training, including the level of training, they should also consider the related cost, either by increasing the labor rates to assist with cost or create or support programs to help lower cost such as the program offered by the trade associations referenced above. If I-CAR wants their training to be the accepted training, they need to work with the trade associations that work hard educate, assist and speak for their members. If the cost of I-CAR training could be reduced as the result of the increase in volume through trade association participation, it would be a win, win for all. Once again, I encourage I-CAR to consider and act on the opportunity recently offered by the numerous trade associations referenced above.
