Del. Hugo’s vehicle accident “photo law” sent to governor for signature

Delegate Tim Hugo’s House Bill 870 (HB870) has passed both the House and the Senate unanimously. It will now be placed before the governor to sign into law.

HB870 will simplify the process for auto insurance claim adjustors to get an estimate to their customers.

The bill allows adjustors to make their estimates based on a photo of the damaged vehicle, taken by either body shop employees, insurance adjustors, or the claimants who were in the accident.

This bill changes the current Virginia law, which requires an appraiser to personally inspect a damaged vehicle before creating an estimate.

On the passage of HB870, Delegate Hugo stated in a press release:

“This legislation will make an already-stressful situation less so, by making the aftermath of an auto accident a faster and simpler process. With the rapid advancement of camera technology, we need to make sure we are using every tool at our disposal to make the claims process easier and more efficient.”