Teak Claim Consultants

08/07/2026

We don't manufacture claims. We uncover the truth.

If your insurance company owes you more, we'll prove it. If they don't, we'll tell you.

Not a penny more, not a penny less. That's what real advocacy looks like.

08/06/2026

Progressive we are just wondering when you began allowing field staff to change Montana auto policy language? Please reach out to let us know..........

Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance

08/03/2026

Still on record pace with new claims coming in each day. Take a look at our July numbers and call us for a free claim review. No hassle, we can either help you or we can't.

08/03/2026

Collision Hub with a great breakdown on the State Farm debacle from last week!

A State Farm employee said an “alternative workflow” shop is a faci...

07/31/2026

07/28/2026

Some of you will focus on the fact that we apparently can’t count. Fair enough. We’ll own that.

Now let’s talk about something that actually matters.

A State Farm manager blatantly disregarding manufacturer repair guidelines.

Apparently, our post struck a nerve, because a State Farm adjuster decided to jump into our messages and introduce himself with:

“You’re a lying piece of sh*t.”

Classy.

He then accused the customer’s chosen repair shop of intentionally trying to “screw State Farm out of their money” and called State Farm’s own insured a “moron” for choosing that shop.
........

The insured. The person who pays State Farm premiums expecting their insurance company to properly handle their claim. According to this State Farm employee, that person is a “moron” because they chose a repair facility they trust instead of one State Farm apparently finds more agreeable.

Then came the ridiculous comparisons about someone making $50,000 being entitled to a Ferrari and an HMO patient demanding a particular surgeon.

There’s just one problem, none of that has a thing to do with manufacturer repair procedures.

The question isn’t whether State Farm likes the shop.

The question isn’t whether the shop participates in State Farm’s preferred repair program.

The question isn’t whether following the manufacturer’s procedures costs State Farm more money.

The question is whether the vehicle is being repaired correctly.

We posted the communications and the manufacturer guidelines. Instead of providing any useful information, this employee responded by attacking the shop, insulting the insured, and calling us liars.

That tells consumers plenty.

We’ll keep posting the receipts.

State Farm this seems like a good time to have some external communications training.

07/25/2026

This week wrapped up or legislative road show, for now. Special thanks to Glacier Collision Worx, Inc. and Ricks Auto Body Inc. for hosting these events. We appreciate time spent with consumers and lawmakers alike. Please remember to share your claim story on our legislative website, mycrashstorymt.com

07/23/2026

A State Farm customer couldn't get their adjuster to return a phone call. Neither could the repair facility. The repair process was being delayed, so the customer reached out to their State Farm agent for help.

State Farm management was asked to do one simple thing: help their customer.

Mike Tomshack, State Farm's Estimatics Team Manager, never apologized for the lack of communication. He never said his adjuster would contact the customer. Instead, his very first response was to point out that the customer chose an "alternative workflow facility" and that what was happening "should not be a surprise."

Read that again.

A customer can't get a phone call returned and management's response is essentially, "Well, they didn't choose one of our preferred shops."

Consumers have the right to choose where their vehicle is repaired. Choosing an independent repair facility does not relieve State Farm of its obligation to communicate with its own customer.

Mike then goes on to explain that Toyota's safety inspection procedures simply require the necessary scans to be performed and that if no fault codes are present, the repair process should STOP.

There is one major problem with that statement.

Toyota doesn't say that.

Toyota's written repair procedures for this exact vehicle require multiple Supplemental Restraint System components to be removed from the vehicle for visual inspection, including airbags and other safety components. Toyota also states that when airbags have deployed, all airbag sensors in the damaged area anywhere repairs are necessary are to be replaced.

You cannot visually inspect components that Toyota requires to be removed from the vehicle without removing them from the vehicle.

This isn't our opinion. It's Toyota's.

So, we have a very simple question for you State Farm.

Was Mike Tomshack intentionally misrepresenting Toyota's repair procedures in an attempt to steer this customer away from their chosen repair facility?

Or is the State Farm manager responsible for making these decisions unfamiliar with the manufacturer's written repair procedures?

Because those are the only two explanations that make sense.

If he knew Toyota's procedures and said this anyway, that's a serious problem.

If he didn't know Toyota's procedures before advising his customer and criticizing the repair facility, that's also a serious problem.

Either way, State Farm owes this customer an explanation.

We will continue doing what we've always done, posting the documents, telling the truth, and letting consumers decide for themselves.

We only have our reputation, that's it. When we are called about a claim we shoot you straight, no bu****it. We can either help you or we can't and we play by the rules. When our day ends, we know we handled our clients' claims in a professional, fair, accurate and timely manner. Based on this email, it does not appear that State Farm subscribes to the same motto as we do.

Fair Claims.
Fair Montana.

Capital Collision Center State Farm Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Montana Department of Justice Toyota USA TOYOTA CCC Intelligent Solutions SCRS - Society of Collision Repair Specialists Montana Collision Repair Association

07/23/2026

Another round of legislative road show meetings kick off tomorrow. Please join us in Missoula at 12:00pm or Kalispell at 5:30pm!

As always, we invite carriers to attend and participate in the discussions with consumers and lawmakers.

Fair Claims.
Fair Montana.

Ricks Auto Body Inc. Glacier Collision Worx, Inc. My Crash Story Montana Progressive State Farm GEICO Farmers Insurance Allstate Liberty Mutual Insurance Root Travelers Insurance

07/22/2026