THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

In Congress December 6, 1997

The Declaration of Collision Repair Industry Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for the collision industry to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with the insurance industry, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitles them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all businessmen are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Independence, Free enterprise, and the pursuit of fair Profits. That to secure these rights in the past, business relationships have been instituted between both insurers and repairers, empowered from the consent of both parties. That whenever any Form of business relationship becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new relationship, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that business relationships long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and appropriation, reveals an intentional design to reduce them to absolute Dictatorship, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such business relationships, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the Collision Industry under the dictatorship of the Insurance Industry; and such is now the necessity, which compels them to alter their former business relationship. The history of the present relationship with Insurers is a history of repeated injuries and injustices, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over Collision repairers. To prove this, let the Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Insurers have refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

Insurers have blocked the passage of Laws of immediate and pressing importance to protect the rights of shop owners and consumer alike, and when obstruction of the passage of such laws was unsuccessful, Insurers have utterly neglected to adhere to them.

Insurers have refused to indemnify large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation and recourse, a right extremely precious to them and appalling to tyrants only.

Insurers have called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing consumers and Collision repairers into compliance with their measures.

Insurers have dissolved the effectiveness of the Insurance Commissioner’s Office repeatedly, for oppressing with manifest firmness their invasions on the rights of the people.

Insurers have caused others to be elected; whereby weakening the Legislative powers of consumers and Collision repairers, these officials, incapable of Elimination, have turned on the People at large for their activity; the consumers remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and Collision repairers from convulsions within.

Insurers have endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose of obstructing Laws for equitable settlement, indemnification, and legal recourse in the event of an insurer’s failure to fulfill its contractual obligation to restore consumers to whole.

Insurers have obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing to adhere and Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers and process, for the fair administration of Justice.

Insurers have made Judges dependent on their Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

Insurers have erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of adjusters to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

Insurers have combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving their Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For protecting themselves by a mock Trial, from punishment for any crimes which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the World by specifying what, where, and from whom we shall purchase supplies and parts.

For imposing laws to mandate consumers purchase many forms of Insurance to further their cause, and weaken the resolve of the consumer.

For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our relationship with our consumers:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever through arbitration and the negotiation of claims for which they have a vested interest.

Insurers have plundered our resources, ravaged our economy, destroyed free enterprise, and destroyed the lives of our people.

Insurers have excited domestic insurrections amongst us, causing a fragmentation of Collision industry leadership and direction for the sole purpose of profiting from the divide.

In every stage of these Oppression We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. The Insurance industry, whose character is thus Marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the administrator of the legislated and mandated protection of the consumer, and most certainly is not worthy to conduct business directly with the Collision Industry, who moves now to become a free people.

Nor have We been silent in our objections to the insurance industry. We have warned
them from time  to time of attempts by legislature and to extend an unwarrantable
jurisdiction over us.


We have reminded them of the circumstances of our wrath and frustration to no avail.
We have appealed to their sense of justice and fairness only to come away with less then
that which we arrived with. We have pleaded with Insurers to discontinue these unjust
practices, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They
too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of fair play. We must therefore, agree in
the necessity, which brought to the light of day our Separation, and hold them, as we
hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We therefore, the Representatives of the Collision Repair Industry of these United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the authority of the good People of these States, solemnly publish and declare, That the Collision Repair Industry are, and of Right, ought to be Free and Independent from insurers in all facets of business; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Insurance Industry, and that all political connection between Collision Repairers and the Insurance Industry, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent Business men and women, they have full Power to severe all ties and communications with insurers, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent businesses may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

The Signers Of The Declaration Of Independence