"East Bay Democrat Mary Hayashi is carrying a bill for insurance companies at the expense of consumers."
"East Bay Democrat Mary Hayashi is carrying a bill for insurance companies at the expense of consumers," is the first sentence of an email message I received recently from the Consumer Attorneys of California, of which I am a member. I took a look at the bill, AB 1200. As summarized in the State Senate analysis of the bill, AB 1200 Would significantly revise and recast California's auto repair anti-steering law duties, obligations and allowed conduct for insurance companies, relative to consumers and other parties in the claims settlement process, including 1) Eliminating an insurer's duty to provide a specified written notice of a consumers right to select an auto body shop, and 2) Eliminating a prohibition in current law on an insurer suggesting or recommending that the claimant select a different body shop after a consumer has indicated their body shop choice. The bill is sponsored by State Farm and a host of other auto insurance companies. It has received sti