Should Auto Body Shops Be Able to Sue Insurance Companies?

In the now-traditional flurry of activity to end the 2011-12 General Assembly session, a bill was passed by both chambers of the legislature that allows auto body shops to sue insurance companies over the cost of repairs.

The bill, sponsored in the House by Rep. Stephen R. Ucci (D-Johnston), now goes to Gov. Lincoln Chafee for his signature.

According to the Providence Journal, the parents of Johnston Rep. Peter Petrarca spoke in favor of the legislation at a House hearing a few days previous to its approval.

Ucci told the House on June 11 that the bill would "level the playing field" in allowing local shops a legal recourse for disputing repair estimates, the Journal reported.

Other legislators, including Rep. Robert Watson (R-East Greenwich) and Sen. Dawson Hodgson (R-North Kingstown), argued that the bill would increase costs for Rhode Island car owners, who are legally required to carry insurance on their vehicles.

Dawson estimated that the average driver in Rhode Island would pay an additional $164 in insurance premiums, the Journal reported.

According to online vote records posted by the House and Senate, Petrarca did not vote on the bill; Rep. John Carnevale (D-Johnston, Providence) likewise did not cast a vote, while Ucci and Rep. Deborah Fellela voted in favor. Johnston Sen. Frank Lombardo III was among 24 senators who voted for the measure.

What do you think?

Should auto body shops have the right to sue insurance companies to protect their interests?

Or will it increases costs for Rhode Island drivers?

Let us know by voting in our poll and posting your comments below.