Ray Gunder offers free legal seminar

Ray Gunder, owner of Gunder’s Auto Center in Lakeland, Fla., and Barrett Smith of Auto Damage Experts (ADE) are co-sponsoring a free legal seminar to help collision repairers recover the full costs required for a proper and thorough repair. The seminar is at 11 a.m. April 14 in Lakeland. Like this article? Sign up to receive our weekly news blasts here.

Gunder is a proponent of using assignment of proceeds on behalf of his customers to recover the full cost of the repair. Gunder’s attorney, Brent Geohagan, also will present information and answer questions.

“This will not be the standard training on how to increase work flow, cycle times or KPIs” says Smith of Auto Damage Experts. The information gained during this meeting will likely enable attendees to work more effectively and to better serve the needs of their customers and their businesses through more efficient administrative processes while avoiding unnecessary legal liabilities, he said. “This information, properly employed, will likely result in greater profits and reduce operational costs and frustrations.”

The intent of this seminar will be to provide information on legal basics including an overview of the much discussed processes involving the “Power of Attorney” and “Assignment of Proceeds” (aka Assignment of Benefits). Answers to attendees questions as to how it may benefit them, their business and their customers will be available along with other topics such as:

• Understanding the Repairer’s Legal Responsibilities
   
• Understanding the Customer’s Legal Responsibilities
   
• Understanding the Insurer’s Legal Responsibilities
   
• Understanding the difference between 1st and 3rd Party Claims for Repairers
   
• Understanding Tortious Interference
   
• Relationship Building Based upon Knowledge and Respect
   
• Recognizing Legal Liabilities and How to Avoid Them and/or Channel Them to the Appropriate Parties
   
• How to Turn Potential Liabilities into Significant Profits and Improve Your Bottom Line.
   
• Making your Repair Authorizations Legally Iron-Clad and Profitable
   
• The Importance of Knowing and Understanding your State’s Laws and Regulations as They Relate to Your Business
   
• Recognizing and Understanding “Unfair Trade Practices” and how to avoid them
   
• Post Repair Inspections…A Quality Repairer’s Best Friend and a Poor Repairer’s Nightmare!
   
• Understanding “Diminished Value” and its Benefits to Repairers and Their Customers
   
• Understanding “Federal Anti-Trust Laws” and What Repairers Can and Cannot Discuss Openly Without Fear
   
• Summary of the March 2012 CCRE PA. Meeting