Adam Nazar, Chief Technology Officer of AutoClaims Direct has been named nominee for the Information Technology Executive of the Year which will be presented by the San Diego Business Journal and Cox Business: along with co-sponsors Alcatel-Lucent, CommNexus San Diego, Robert Half Technology, and the San Diego Software Council. The honorees will be announced on May 6th at the evening awards event held at the Hall of Champions Sports Museum. Best of Luck to Adam from the ACD Team!

LKQ Corp, one of the largest providers of vehicle aftermarket and recycled parts posted record 1st quarter results in 2010. Click here for the story.

According to this article we found today, Iteris AutoVue which makes collision avoidance technology for vehicles claims their solutions can reduce lane change accidents by 62%. Click here for the story.

This question is often asked by claims managers and supervisors when an auto damage appraisal takes longer than 72 hours. While we at AutoClaims Direct average well under 48 hours on our assigments, some files are beyond our control. We at ACD are committed to finding out the reasons and thus provide feedback to improve the process.

The March CPI was released and here’s the comparison of auto body repair vs. auto insurance.  Auto Body repair has remained level in the first 3 months of 2010.

See charts below:

AutoClaims Direct, the leading auto claims and business solutions provider to the Property & Casualty industry has continued to unveil new products and services in the first quarter of 2010 further expanding the company’s reach into new sectors. The AdjustLink claims solution which is shaping up to be the most advanced adjusting platform in the claims industry is currently being rolled out with three insurers. The AdjustLink integrates AutoClaims Direct’s core claims management platforms into one full solution. AutoClaims Direct’s staff of in house adjusters can handle complete files end-to-end or handle task assignments where insurers need overflow assistance. “We’re aggressively moving forward with new and innovative solutions which streamline the entire claims handling process for our clients. Our auto damage appraisal services are second to none and insurers who are committed to top quality service and results come to us because we simplify the process and give them access to everything they need right at their fingertips.” Stated CEO Ernie Bray.

Our growth can be attributed to the hard work of our staff, our focus on creativity and our commitment to giving insurers more than just the “basics”. We are firm believers that adding value at every point of the process is essential. The ROI an insurer experiences utilizing AutoClaims Direct is immediate as we have taken a process that many insurers parse out to multiple claims service and technology providers by creating one unified solution. We are able to reduce costs and provide an immediate impact on the bottom line.” adds Bray.

Commissioner Poizner Announces San Jose Mother and Son Arrested, Face Felony Auto Insurance Fraud and Hit and Run Charges

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced today the arrests of two suspects for automobile insurance fraud. Maria Valle, 40, and her son, Edgar Valle, 20, both of San Jose, were charged with felony insurance fraud and booked at the Santa Clara County Jail on $35,000 bail each. Edgar Valle was also charged with felony hit and run. Maria was arrested on April 14. Edgar was arrested on April 11.

“Fabricating stories to cover up an auto accident is wrong, illegal and get you a ticket to jail,” said Commissioner Poizner. “Think twice before filing a false police report or lying to your insurance company. If you commit auto insurance fraud, you will get caught.”

An investigation conducted by the Urban Organized Insurance Fraud Task Force revealed that on October 11, 2008, a single vehicle traffic accident occurred on Jacklin Rd. in Milpitas. Edgar Valle was allegedly driving a vehicle with several passengers inside, that rolled onto its side. One passenger was injured in the accident. Edgar and the passengers allegedly fled the scene of the accident when the police were called. The injured passenger was later detained and questioned by the police. After the accident, Maria Valle allegedly drove from her East San Jose home to Milpitas to pick up Edgar. The next morning, Maria reported her vehicle stolen to the police and filed a stolen vehicle claim with her insurance carrier.

Maria Valle allegedly made material misrepresentations to the Milpitas Police Officer who was investigating the traffic accident, and to her insurance carrier when she filed an insurance claim, by stating that Edgar was at home with her at the time the vehicle was stolen and during the time that her vehicle was involved in the accident. Edgar was also charged with insurance fraud, as well as felony hit and run.

The Urban Organized Automobile Fraud Insurance Task Force is comprised of investigators from the CDI, California Highway Patrol, and Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

The Arizona bill addressing auto glass fraud passed the state Senate yesterday. It passed 28-0.  Click here for a link to the bill 2463.

In this interesting article, it appears one of the the largest nationwide provider of aftermarket parts is in a war of words with an collision repair industry activist. Click here to read the link to the story we found.

According to this article, the average Michigan auto insurance policy holder will see a jump of about $18.20 on their policy. This is to cover severe injuries incurred in auto accidents. Evidently due to losses in investments the MCCA is expecting a 2 billion dollar deficit. Click here for the full story.