THE long term future of accident management companies has once again come under scrutiny following the first ever publication of a review of bodyshop labour rates.

Following discussions with the Association of British Insurers, the Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association canvassed its members and established a league table of the highest to lowest net labour rate paid by insurers and accident management companies to bodyshops. Its findings reveal a staggering difference of 29.5% between the best and worst, and almost without exception accident management companies fall in the lowest quartile.

However, the Retail Motor Industry Federation, said such league tables were forcing the insurance companies paying the highest rates to negotiate harder to cut their spending.