When your insurance company comes to know that you have been arrested and condemned due to drunk driving, there is a high possibility that it will increase your automobile insurance rates. There are many concerns associated with drunk driving and its consequences and one of them is hike in your vehicle insurance rates. That’s why, in drunk driving, you should get your situation reviewed by a capable DUI lawyer depending upon the laws of your state.
There are certain factors, which determine the increase in one’s insurance rates. They are the level and type of the conviction charged on you, and the relationship you have with your automobile insurance provider. Your insurance provider will either add surcharge on the date when your license gets renewed after the conviction, or impose the hike retroactively so as to cover the time you spent during your conviction, hiding it.
On the contrary, you might be asked to inform your insurance provider straightaway about your conviction. Various jurisdictions require the convicts to acquire a SR-22 from their respective insurance providers, so that they can recover their driving privileges after the end of their license suspension. It is almost inevitable that you will have to go through very high premiums in your insurance, once DUI is included in your record.
It also makes your wish to change the insurance providers rather difficult as the chances of finding a better deal, after DUI conviction is really slim. Depending upon the laws of different states, your DUI will be either visible for about 5-10 years or for lifetime.
Rules associated with the hike in insurance rates
- Your provider will insure you only when you fulfill their certain conditions at a particular rate.
- There are some places where a limit is put on the extent to which your provider can increase the rates.
- You will get some time to prepare yourself for the hike in insurance rates as according to law, you will get a notice.
- You have to inform your insurance provider about the conviction in advance of going for a court hearing.
Your insurance provider can also help you here by recommending some steps (which are in harmony with the policy’s guidelines) you can take to avoid severe punishments.
Response of automobile insurance companies to DUI convictions
Automobile insurance companies make their decision of increasing insurance rates, on the basis of the level and type of one’s conviction. If you are just put on a deferred adjudication, then there are high chances that your company will never increase the rates. If we talk about the conviction level, then the extent of hike in any insurance policy will be determined accordingly. In case of a felony, the premium rates will be very high, because of the serious nature of the problem.
You can hire a professional SD DUI lawyer San Diego to help you with the DUI pleas as then, you will know what your options are and what move would be most suitable for you. In case of first DUI offense, you can get off by just participating in any diversion court session and meeting all the requirements of whatever program is decided for you.
