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Faulty Inspection Leads to Manslaughter Charge for Vermont Mechanic, Vehicle Inspected 2 Months Ago by Mike Donoghue, Burlington Free Press
Mechanic Steven Jalbert appears at his arraignment on August 11 at Vermont Superior Court in Barre. Credit: Glenn Russell/Free Press
A central Vermont mechanic has been arrested on charges of manslaughter and reckless endangerment in connection with approving a state inspection for a defective car that later crashed, killing a woman, the authorities said. Steven Jalbert, 30, of Barre pleaded
not guilty to the two charges during a brief hearing on August 11 in Vermont Superior Court in Barre. Judge Kevin Griffin agreed with the request by the Attorney General’s Office to release Jalbert on conditions, including he refrain from driving vehicles until he is legally licensed and that he have no contact with the victim’s family. The charges stem from a crash that killed Elizabeth Ibey, 82, of Barre Town on July 5, 2014, court records show. The driver, Donald Ibey, 86, of See Manslaughter Charge, Page 18
AASP/NJ Warns Members After Vermont Mechanic Arrested
arrested for manslaughter after a carelessly incomplete inspection on a 1992 Chevrolet Corsica in May 2014, which allegedly led to the driver’s death two months later. The investigation uncovered that the brake lines and rocker panels in the vehicle were rusted and corroded, classifying them as in “visibly unsafe condition.” The police affidavit showed that the mechanic did not take basic steps in inspecting the car, such as testing the brakes, putting the car on a lift, removing a wheel or testing it on the road. Jalbert, who worked at an inspection facility that is licensed by the See AASP/NJ Warns Members, Page 70
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After a Vermont automotive technician was arrested for manslaughter following a carelessly incomplete inspection (see other Cover story), the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey sent out an urgent warning to their members. Literature distributed by AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant reminded shops that when using compromised parts in a car due to Direct Repair agreements, the liability still remains with the repairer – the insurer’s refusal to pay will not count as an excuse in a court of law. On Tuesday, August 11, a Vermont mechanic, Steven Jalbert, was
VOL. 6 ISSUE 6 SEPTEMBER 2015
An Open Letter From Charles Bryant to the New Jersey Collision Repair Industry Dear Collision Shops:
I just don’t get it. Like many others in the collision industry across the country, I fight for the betterment of the collision industry on a daily basis. Like myself, collision industry advocates across the country all attempt to determine what the biggest problems are and then look for solutions for those problems. Based on my own personal exCharles Bryant, perience and all of AASP/NJ Executive the research from Director (file photo) as far back as I can remember, I can safely conclude that the number one problem in the colli-
sion industry is directly tied to the artificially suppressed labor rates. As a result, collision shops are being forced to repair expensive and technical automobiles for labor rates lower that lawnmower and bicycle shops are charging and being paid to repair lawnmowers and bicycles.
Labor Rates Clearly the #1 Problem of the Collision Industry I don’t think I am mysteriously exposing the best kept secret in the collision industry by pinpointing the number one biggest problem in the collision industry is artificially suppressed labor rates. In fact, I am of the opinion that the majority of the collision industry is well aware that artificially suppressed labor rates are the See Letter from Charles, Page 64
TV News Reports on LA Body Shop Owner Saying State Farm ‘Forces Him’ to Use Recycled Parts by Kiran Chawla, wafb.com
A body shop owner is warning drivers that if you get in a wreck, your car insurance policy might only pay for after-market or recycled parts. A 2014 Kia Sedona has been at the Miles Paint & Body Shop in Baton Rouge for three weeks after the driver ran into the back of another vehicle. It now needs a new condenser and radiator, and the front bumper was also damaged. Body shop owner Tim Elkins said the car owner’s insurance, State Farm, is not allowing him to use original replacement parts, but instead they are pushing after-market, or recycled, products. “They force these parts on us. They make us use them. They’ve gotten to where now they tell us where to buy the parts and who we have to buy them from,” said Elkins. Elkins said the damaged parts in
Miles Paint & Body Shop in LA said his customer’s car insurer State Farm is not allowing him to use OEM parts on his 2014 Kia Sedona. Credit: WAFB
the vehicle are necessary in running the brains of the car. “When the insurance company wants us to use reconditioned parts, that’s a part that’s already been damaged, already been broken and fixed. That’s not what was on this car when it came in here. I mean for that matter, I could fix what was on it. I mean that’s not what we should do. We should replace these parts with new parts. That’s what was on it when it See State Farm Forces, Page 16
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