A new Connecticut law reinforces motorists' rights to have their auto repaired by a qualified, licensed, competent auto body shop of their own choosing.

The new law, effective Jan. 1, requires that motorists who have damaged their vehicles in an accident must be notified that they have a choice of repair facilities. This notification must appear on insurance identification cards, on estimates supplied by the insurance company or repair shop, and also be clearly posted on signs in all auto body shops.

This law is the result of years of work by the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, according to Bob Skrip, president of ABAC and owner of Skirp’s Auto Body in Prospect, Conn. Skrip explained the law in an article he wrote that was published Feb. 1 in The Day.

The law will go a long way to help educate consumers that they don't have to be afraid of insurance companies, Skrip said. “It's your car, and your choice where to have it repaired.”

He encouraged consumers not to be fooled by inaccurate suggestions of out-of-pocket costs or insurance company statements about repair delays encountered by customers using shops outside the insurer’s direct repair network.

Skrip encouraged consumers to call or visit more than one repair facility to learn which shop is qualified to repair their car properly.

“Beware of low-ball estimates,” he wrote. “You have the right to be paid for a proper repair. The facility with the lowest estimate may base that estimate on using substandard, aftermarket parts that are not authorized for use in many vehicles. Or in many cases leave out necessary procedures needed to bring your car back to pre-loss condition. In fact, the warranty on many new cars will become void if the car is repaired with the non-approved parts.

“The repair shops that insurance companies direct policy owners to often charge less, but that's because they may use substandard parts and cut corners on repairs so even consumer safety may be in jeopardy. Deceptively referring consumers to insurance company “preferred” shops has been illegal for decades, but far too often the insurance companies have been able to bully unsuspecting consumers,” he wrote.