Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf yesterday signed House Bill 1638 (HB 1638) that amends the Motor Vehicle Physical Damage Appraiser Act to remove a prohibition against using photographs to prepare collision repair damage estimates.
The bill had been opposed by Pennsylvania Collision Trade Guild who testified against the legislation during a hearing before the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee earlier this year.
Section 11(c) of the Appraiser Act required a personal inspection in the preparation of an estimate stating, “No appraiser shall secure or use repair estimates that have been obtained by the use of photographs, telephone calls or in any