What will happen to my auto insurance policy here in Palm Beach, Florida should I get caught driving drunk?

Will

Palm Beach, FL

Hi Will, should you get caught driving under the influence (DUI or DWI) or get involved in any serious type of vehicular violations, then you can expect some very heavy consequences not only from your car insurance provider there in palm Beach but from the state of Florida as well. The law is very serious about drunk driving, car accidents and traffic violations. And the repercussions are also far reaching, something you will have to live with and work hard to rectify for the next two to three years.

Most likely your auto insurance coverage will either get canceled or your insurance premiums gets dramatically inflated but thats going to be the least of your problems. Your driver’s license might get temporarily suspended until you pay some healthy fees, thats if you’re not sentenced to spend some time behind bars . If you’re insurance does get canceled there are still insurance providers out there who’s willing to take in high-risk driver. Yes, you’re going to be considered a high-risk driver and get all the perks that come with it such as sky high rates and having to file and maintain an SR22 (proof of financial responsibility) for at least a couple of years. It’s going to be a dreadful experience in exchange for those few bottles of suds. So why risk it?

My cousin was charged with DUI here in Palm Beach, Florida and I see that he worries too much about his auto insurance. What can he expect from his insurance company after his drunk driving charge?

Margaret

Palm Beach, FL

Most auto insurance companies check their client’s motor vehicle record once a year. Some auto insurance companies do check it only once every three years or when the client is applying for a new insurance policy. Sometimes, tickets, drunk driving or DUI convictions and accidents could escape the auto insurance company’s attention. If your cousin’s auto insurance company finds out about his DUI charge, especially if he gets convicted, he will see higher premium rates and possibly he might have the task of seeking a new auto insurance company because his current auto insurance company might not renew his coverage.

There are usually two ways that auto insurance companies deal with customers who have DUI charge. Including your cousin’s DUI case in Palm Beach, Florida, the first possible thing that would happen is that the auto insurance provider might cancel the policy. It would also be possible that the auto insurance company would raise the premiums due to increasing the “point” count, almost to the point of “unaffordability.” In case this happens, he can check out other auto insurance providers and he can absolutely find a good auto insurance through getting an online rate quote from this website.

There is a possibility that my sister would be convicted of DUI here in Palm Beach, Florida. She is already very much aware of the penalties that could be put on her. What she isn’t fully aware of is the impact of her DUI on her auto insurance. If she will be convicted, what are the effects of DUI on her auto insurance?

Taylor

Palm Beach, Florida

Driving under the influence is a serious, yet quite a common offense. As we know, a DUI conviction can be humiliating and expensive for the individual involved. Some of the short-term consequences include attorney fees, fines and license suspension. The long-term consequences are often the most expensive due to the effects on car insurance rates and coverage.

If your sister would be convicted of a DUI charge in Palm Beach, Florida, her insurance company may not likely find out. But they might uncover it through their annual driving record investigations. Another way of finding out about a DUI is that the she may have to file form SR22 (Proof of Insurance Certificate) when she re-instates her license. She might have to consider other options such as changing companies because not all insurance companies will file an SR22 form.

There can be two basic outcomes if the insurance company finds out about a DUI conviction. More often, the insurance company that accepts SR22 forms would specialize in “high-risk” driving auto insurance. Even if the insurance rates may increase, filing with a smaller company usually makes the switch less expensive than attempting to file an SR22 with a major firm. The other outcome is that they may drop your coverage completely and you would have to find a new company to insure you.