Three-C Body Shops, State Farm settle multiple lawsuits

Feb. 18, 2015
After more than two years, Bob Juniper of Three-C Body Shops and State Farm have reached a settlement in multiple lawsuits filed against the insurer.

After more than two and a half years and 140 separate claims seeking damages in excess of $300,000, Bob Juniper of Three-C Body Shops and State Farm Insurance have reached a settlement.

Widely regarded as a consumer advocate and offering high quality repair and services, Juniper, second generation owner and CEO of Three-C Body Shops, Inc. filed a lawsuit against State Farm Ins. on behalf of 146 of his customers.

The issue stemmed from Three-C’s billings associated with the handling of total loss vehicles of which the insurer declined to provide ample compensation to their customers. The issues included, but were not restricted to, processes such as hazardous waste, labor related to dismantling, mechanical, diagnostic time, access, rough pulls, accessing codes, relocation of disabled vehicle , fluid/debris clean-up, collision wrap, clean-up of broken glass, administrative time performing research for factory repair methods and numerous other processes incurred.

“The time and efforts involved in vehicles once considered repairable and then deemed total losses are often considered by insurers to be a 'cost of doing business,' however, when a vehicle becomes a total loss, such labor and administrative activities become burdensome and take considerable time away from our efforts to serve our repair customers. Such activities and time are all too often unappreciated and ignored, and we sought to receive due compensation for our efforts,” stated Juniper. “The costs involved in processing total losses are often higher than the amounts State Farm had been willing to provide for and our ongoing efforts to amicably resolve the issues on behalf of our customers were unsuccessful. The only recourse left was to seek a court’s ruling on the matter; and as such, I took an Assignment of Proceeds (AOP) from our customers and sought recovery on their behalf.”

Juniper went on to state; “We are pleased to have settled this group of cases, and I presume State Farm is as well. It is never a good situation for the customer when an insurer and repairer clash over such issues, especially when litigation results. I’m confident the settlement will enable our two companies to better serve the needs of our customers and our respective businesses regardless if a vehicle is repairable or should be deemed to be a total loss.”

Subscribe to ABRN and receive articles like this every month…absolutely free! Click here to subscribe.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.