Dispatches insurance whistleblower Andrew Moody confirmed for Motor Claims 2013

Andrew Moody, managing director of Retail Motor Law (who spent 15 years working as a car mechanic and panel beater before retraining as a barrister and solicitor), will take part in a panel discussion "The future of motor repair" during the afternoon session on the 13th February.

He commented: "The reaction to the Dispatches programme has been fantastic. [Tuesday] was one of the busiest days of my working life. As you would expect, I have been contacted by bodyshops expressing delight that someone has finally explained their situation to the general public.

"I have also been contacted by a senior figure from the insurance world. The truth is this industry faces a difficult future unless all parties - consumers, garages, suppliers and insurers - are getting a fair deal. For that to happen, insurers need to admit that their relationship with repairers is unbalanced, that they currently wield too much power."

Mr Moody went on to outline his initial reaction to the new evidence presented in the Dispatches programme.

"Although I have been talking to the Dispatches team throughout the production process, on Monday night I was like any other viewer - I didn't know what was going to be in the film," he commented.

"The comment from a repairer confirming that they were expected not to replace a damaged side impact bar within a door is very concerning as these items are specifically fitted to improve safety for the occupants of the vehicle.

"One wonders how many vehicles are out there on our roads where the outer door has been repaired but the side impact bar has been left in a damaged condition. What would happen if such a vehicle had another crash? The possibility of the side impact bar failing in a second accident is greatly increased, as is the possibility of injury to the occupants.

Moody concluded: "It was also extremely shocking to hear the former RBS employee explaining that it was rumoured that RBS received £7m when it entered into what was then the largest paint deal in Europe - and that this cash was used to boost RBS's profits, not passed on to consumers."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOTOR CLAIMS 2013 AND TO BOOK YOU PLACE AT THE EVENT CLICK HERE

TO READ POST EDITOR LYNN ROUSE'S COMMENT ON THE SHOW CLICK HERE