State Beat
Thursday, December 12th, 2002 Auto Liability Litigation PropertyThe Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear State Farm’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling in Avery vs. State Farm, a class-action lawsuit regarding the use of aftermarket parts. The suit, heard in Marion, Ill., in 1999, involved allegations that, in specifying the use of non-original manufacturers parts in the automotive repairs of its insureds, State Farm failed to honor its obligation to restore vehicles to their pre-loss conditions. “Defendant State Farm’s practice and policy is to use inferior, substandard imitation crash parts (whenever possible and practicable) in the repair of Plaintiffs’ vehicles,” the complaint charged. The jury found for the plaintiffs, who were awarded $1.2 billion in damages. The following year, that decision was affirmed by an appellate court.
