Toronto, Ontario — A Washington state collision repair association is warning that proposed changes to insurance rules could lead to declines in road safety.
The Washington Independent Collision Repairers Association, which represents independent and factory-certified bodyshops, has warned that a proposed update to state insurance regulations could give insurance companies too much control over how vehicles are repaired after collisions.
The rules, drafted by Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner, are intended to clarify how insurers must handle claims and prepare repair estimates. They follow an increase in consumer complaints about claim delays, incomplete repairs and disputes between insurers and bodyshops. The proposal, known as R 2025-05, would require that any repair estimate written or authorized by an insurer be reviewed by what the rule calls “a competent vehicle repair person.”
In an open letter, WICRA’s president, Justin Lewis of Accurate Auto Body, said the organization supports the goal of ensuring qualified repair assessments but warned that the current language could allow insurers to decide which repairers count as “competent.” In practice, that could mean insurer-affiliated or contracted repair facilities — known in the United States as Direct Repair Program (DRP) shops — would be treated as the default authority on how a vehicle should be fixed.
Under DRP arrangements, insurers create networks of shops that agree to follow company-specific pricing and parts policies in exchange for a steady stream of referrals. WICRA argues such contracts often limit which repair procedures or replacement parts may be used even when automakers’ repair manuals call for more comprehensive or expensive work. The association said the OIC’s draft wording risks formalizing this imbalance by allowing insurers to define competence according to cost-control agreements rather than objective training or certification.
Lewis also objects to the absence of anti-steering provisions — rules that would prevent insurers from directing consumers toward certain repair facilities. The group says its members often hear from customers who have already chosen a repair shop only to be contacted by insurer representatives urging them to switch to an approved DRP location.
To address these issues, Lewis recommended that the OIC amend the proposed regulation to specify that a “competent vehicle repair person” must be independent of insurance company contracts and trained according to manufacturer and industry standards such as I-CAR Platinum certification. The group also asked that the final rule affirm consumers’ right to choose their repair shop and include language preventing insurer interference once that choice is made.
Lewis said those changes would help maintain repair quality, consumer safety and fair competition across the collision repair industry. Without them, it warned, the new regulation could shift control of vehicle repair decisions from qualified technicians to the insurers paying the claims.
Despite its concerns about the proposals, WICRA has reason to celebrate its legislative successes this year. It also supported Washington’s new Senate Bill 5721, a law enacted earlier in 2025 to strengthen consumer rights in vehicle damage appraisals.
The law requires that every insurance policy covering physical damage include an appraisal clause. If a customer and their insurer cannot agree on the cost of repairs or the value of a vehicle, each side may now hire an independent appraiser, with a neutral third party — called an umpire — settling any remaining dispute. If the umpire’s decision is at least US$500 higher than the insurer’s original offer, the insurer must pay the consumer’s appraisal costs.
WICRA says the legislation ensures drivers can challenge low valuations and supports fair, safe repair practices across the state.
