Doing It Right in the New Year! 

by Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg, MABA Executive Director

As we begin a fresh year in 2026, let’s commit to changes that continue the momentum our industry has been building.

The collective efforts of repairers, instructors, supporters and our association are producing real, measurable progress – and now is the time to strengthen that momentum. Yes, change can be uncomfortable, but we must leave fear in the rear-view mirror and focus on the opportunities ahead. For shops that have invested in training and embraced higher standards, the last few years have been noticeably more productive and profitable. That is no accident.

One truth has always remained constant in collision repair: change is inevitable, and those who prepare will succeed. Rapid technological advancement has made that reality even clearer. Some shops that have fallen behind may feel they can never catch up – but giving up is not an option, and neither is riding the coattails of those leading the industry. Every repairer must make a personal and professional commitment to improve and avoid becoming a burden to the rest of the industry.

The first major step is understanding what it genuinely means to “do it right” – and insisting on being compensated for doing it right. If you are doing neither, then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. That may be uncomfortable to hear, but facts don’t care about comfort.

If you have avoided making a deliberate commitment to proper repairs because you believe your only option is to follow whatever an insurance company says it is “willing” to pay – whether for labor rates or required OEM procedures – you could not be more mistaken. When repair decisions are dictated by insurer cost-containment instead of proper methodology, the vehicle owner inherits the risk – and you, the repair professional, assume the liability.

 Insurers expend tremendous effort steering vehicle owners into their preferred networks. They would not do that if they truly believed they owed only the minimal rates and limited procedures they push onto non-program and non-referral shops. In reality, many non-program and non-referral facilities routinely collect proper compensation – either directly from insurers or through balance billing – and insurers often reimburse consumers on a case-by-case basis.

The takeaway is simple: doing it right is not only possible – it is necessary. The only correct repair is the one aligned with OEM procedures, safety and the vehicle owner’s best interest – not the insurer’s bottom line. This is an industry reporting profits in the billions; they have every incentive to underpay. Anything less than proper repair puts your business, your reputation and your liability in jeopardy.

A Real-World Example That Should Alarm Every Repairer

Insurers want you to believe that the overriding concern in any repair decision should be keeping a vehicle “in production,” rather than allowing it to be totaled. That mindset is not about safety, liability or proper process. It is strictly about cost.

Recently, I visited a shop where a member of the Auto Body Labor Rate Advisory Board (ABLRAB) was reviewing a 2024 high-end SUV involved in a road-rage shooting. The driver survived only because the bullet struck – and became lodged in – the high-strength steel “B” pillar on the right side of the vehicle. The bullet was still embedded when the shop assessed the damage.

Look at the photos and ask yourself honestly: “WHAT WOULD YOU DO?”

It is disturbing to acknowledge that an estimated 99 percent of shops would have simply “fixed the hole” rather than research OEM procedures – which clearly required totaling the vehicle. This belief was reinforced by the insurance appraiser on the claim, who stated, “If this car had gone anywhere else to be repaired, it would have been $4,000 or less.”

Let that sink in.

A compromised structural pillar – one that literally saved someone’s life – would have been patched for $4,000. (Worse yet, there are “repairers” that would probably have repaired it or $1,000 or less)

That is not collision repair. That is negligence!

Just because a repair can be attempted does NOT mean it should be done. In this case, the proper, documentable repair required replacing the entire “B” pillar – which in turn required replacing the roof as a sacrificial component. If your reaction is “no way,” then you are part of the problem facing shops that insist on doing the right thing and being properly reimbursed to do so.

If you are among the shops the appraiser wished the vehicle had gone to, then you are exactly the type of shop insurers count on: one willing to prioritize speed and cost over structural integrity, safety and professional ethics.

The shop handling this repair did the right thing. They placed safety above insurer profits, and the vehicle owner was profoundly grateful. This shop does not accept whatever rate an insurer feels like offering. They balance-bill when insurers underpay. They educate consumers upfront. They use Coverall Law’s Forever Forms. They stay profitable, busy and respected. Most importantly, they sleep soundly knowing they acted in the best interests of their customers – not the insurance company. The right way is also the sustainable way.

This is the same type of shop referenced in ABLRAB’s recent meeting – where some members suggested the ADALB should be disbanded. Their criticism targeted non-program, non-referral shops that balance-bill, portraying proper reimbursement and proper repairs as if they were somehow improper. In truth, these shops are the ones actually doing the right thing: refusing to compromise safety, quality or ethics for insurer convenience.

You already know what the right thing to do is. If you feel unsure – or if you’ve been pressured into doing less than what you know is correct – make 2026 the year you finally commit to proper repair standards. Join the NEW MABA (application on page 7), invest in education, and follow the example of colleagues who have proven that doing the right thing is both ethically sound and financially sustainable.

A call/challenge to every true repair professional: Resolve to: “Be Part of the FIX in ’26,” not part of the problem – DO NOT FEAR BEING A PART OF THE SOLUTION.

Want more? Check out the January 2026 issue of New England Automotive Report!