Skip to main content

September 2022 Southeast Edition

Page 1

40 YEARS

S OUTHE AS T E DITIO N

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM

AL / FL / GA / MS / NC / SC / TN / VA / WV

Driven Brands Acquires Tennessee-Based Jack Morris Auto Glass Driven Brands Holdings Inc. announced the continued expansion of its auto glass offering in the U.S. with the acquisition of longstanding Tennessee-based Jack Morris Auto Glass. Family-owned and operated since 1951, Jack Morris Auto Glass grew from one location in Downtown Memphis to 10 facilities serving 90 counties throughout the MidSouth and Middle Tennessee. “To build and sustain a business through multiple generations is no easy feat,” said Michael Macaluso, EVP and paint, collision and glass

group president, Driven Brands. “We are proud to welcome another leading operator to our growing glass division, where we can apply our scale and resources to enhance

See Jack Morris, Page 11

Company Says it Has Recent Auto Body Shop Estimate Data for Sale by John Yoswick

The ongoing discussion about auto body shop data privacy at the quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings took a new turn this summer when an association leader described what a data aggregator company had recently offered to sell to his organization. Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), said the company contacted him, after speaking with one of SCRS’s state affiliate groups, to see if SCRS might be

interested in acquiring data it has on recently-written collision repair quotes. The company, which Schulenburg did not identify by name, told him the information could be used by SCRS member shops to contact consumers who received a recent estimate to say, “Hey, I know you’ve gotten a recent quote, and our business could do the work for you.” Schulenburg asked what type of information was available. The company told him, “through our data aggregation partners and proSee Data for Sale, Page 18

Vol. 13 / Issue 7 / September 2022

Tesla to Pay $10.5M for 1% Negligence in 2018 Model S Crash by Maria Merano, Teslarati

On July 19, a Fort Lauderdale, FL, federal jury released its verdict on a 2018 Tesla Model S crash that resulted in 18-year-old Barrett Riley’s death. The jury found Tesla 1% negligent for the Model S accident and ruled the victim and his father were 99% at fault. The six-person jury found Barrett Riley was 90% to blame for the crash, while his father, James Riley, was 9% liable and his mother, Jenny Riley, was 0% responsible.

As per Bloomberg, the jury also ruled James and Jenny Riley sustained $10.5 million in pain and suffering damages for their son’s death. On May 8, 2018, Barrett Riley drove his father’s Model S with his friends. Riley lost control of the vehicle while driving 116 mph. The Model S hit the concrete wall of a house in Fort Lauderdale and caught on fire. Riley and one of his passengers died, while a third person survived the crash. James Riley filed a product liability suit against Tesla in Florida See Tesla to Pay $10.5M, Page 11

SEMA Show to Feature Educational Program Focused on Personal and Professional Development Dozens of industry leaders and experts will take the stage at the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities while at the annual event taking place in November in Las Vegas. Beginning Oct. 31—the day before the official opening of the four-day SEMA Show—the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program will include more than 70 free and premium sessions within 14 tracks. Showgoers may choose individual sessions across different tracks, mixing and matching the offerings to create a personalized agenda that meets one’s individual needs. “The Education Program is one of the SEMA Show’s key pillars, and it’s always been highly rated by participants,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. “We challenged ourselves and pushed to make the program better than ever. We focused heavily on bringing in elite subject matter

experts and high-profile industry leaders. SEMA Show attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from industry experts while at the show.”

SEMA Show attendees can learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities from industry leaders and experts as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program.

New this year are four sessions focused on challenges and opportunities associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The first DEI session, “Diversity and Inclusion: How You Can Advance Equal Opportunity in Your Workplace,” See SEMA Show, Page 20

PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA

PAID

Change Service Requested P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook