Impaired Driving Insurance
Getting My License Back After The DUI
As I’ve written previously, in Ontario a new program came into effect earlier this year, where if your guilty plea was entered on or after August 3, 2010, you plead guilty within 90 days of the alcohol related driving charge, and your fines are all paid up, it is possible to apply for an early reinstatement of your license. In fact, instead of waiting a full year, it might be possible to have it reinstated after three months.
It also must be your first offense. As well, you must have had at least the “Assessment” portion of the Back On Track Remedial program completed.
I’m still trying to work out the details, as now I am apparently eligible to apply to have my license reinstated. But there are some problems:
First, I don’t know if I’ll even have a vehicle on the date I’ll be able to get it back. The vehicle I was driving was written off by the insurance company, and they estimated over $14,000.00 in damages.
I’m not sure I could afford insurance after the DUI or Impaired Driving conviction.
I’m still paying on a bank loan for the vehicle – because I was convicted of an alcohol related driving offense, my insurance company views that as a breach of contract and therefore they are not going to pay the bank the balance of what is owing. I’ve got another 4 1/2 years to pay the loan off.
To be quite blunt, I am close to going bankrupt after all of the bills have come in, the fine and restitution has been paid, and I’ve not been able to keep up with my other debts. My income has suffered dramatically since the accident and impaired driving charge. With no vehicle, it’s been tough to get out there and call on clients and potential clients.
Having said that, there are some possibilities. At this point, it is my understanding that now that I’ve completed the Back On Track assessment, and my $1,300.00 fine is paid in full, I should be able to call Guardian Interlock and get a contract with them. It seems to me that I don’t actually have to have a vehicle to install the ignition interlock in, but I do need to provide proof of a contract with the company for one of their interlock devices.
Then, I can apply for my licence back, and when it is returned to me, it will have an “I” on it, which means I am not to drive any vehicle that does not have an ignition interlock installed. But at least I could have my license back, which would give me some options going forward.
My vehicle is at the premises of what I’m told a pretty good auto body mechanic. There is some possibility he could fix up my vehicle for a lot less than what the insurance company estimated the damages to be – but it’s still going to be a hefty price to pay in my present financial situation. But at least I’d have a vehicle that I wouldn’t feel so bad about making payments on.
If my financial situation improves, and I can then also afford the vehicle insurance, I’d have a vehicle to drive when that happens.
Tomorrow, I’m hoping to give Guardian Interlock a call to see what they have to say about getting a contract and what that entails.
I’ll post more as I learn more.
All this could have been avoided if I had my own personal breathalyzer. It would have been a much smaller price to pay than what I have paid after getting behind the wheel and thinking I was fine to drive.
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Impaired Driving – DUI Car Insurance
If you’re convicted of an alcohol related driving offense, you can count on your car insurance skyrocketing – perhaps to unaffordable levels for several years if you live anywhere in North America. In Ontario, a convicted driver must go through what is called “Facility” insurance in order to be covered at a cost of upwards of 10,000 dollars a year.
Some insurance companies will simply refuse to insure you if you have a dui conviction and will cancel the insurance on your car. In the US, States will require that you have a SR-22 Certificate which is basically proof of future financial responsibility and that you have car insurance after a dui and getting your license back.
If you’re convicted of a dui and were in an accident, most insurance companies will refuse to pay for repairs for any damages to your vehicle. Have a loan on that car and it’s written off? You’re still stuck with the loan and you have nothing to show for it. Some insurance companies won’t even pay injury benefits if you were in an accident while driving impaired, although some jurisdictions require insurance companies to provide some personal injury coverage. But you likely won’t get other accident benefits such as loss of income.
A DUI charge will definitely affect your car insurance in ways you probably can’t imagine and you will have regrets for years. The simple solution? Don’t drink and drive.
Insurance Companies And Impaired Driving
Insurance companies don’t work for you. They work for their shareholders. And like any company, they earn money by increasing their revenues and minimizing expenses. Paying out on a claim cuts into their revenues.
By their very nature, they have a vested interest in reducing or eliminating all together claims against auto insurance policies. Don’t forget that.
I’m not a lawyer, so don’t take what I write as law. Every jurisdiction have their own insurance laws which define your obligations when involved in a vehicle accident. As well, your insurance policy likely has some provisions as to what you must do in regard to reporting accidents and infractions to the insurance company. You would be well advised to seek legal advice if you are in an accident – especially one where you were charged with an alcohol related driving offense.
Insurance companies typically view an impaired or alcohol related charge while involved in an accident as a “breach of contract,” and therefore will investigate as fully as they can in order to not pay on any claims made. Some jurisdictions may legally require the insurance company to pay for injury related claims resulting from the accident, but not on damage to the vehicle.
Every Province and State likely has statutory conditions on the insurance contract which requires the insured to do certain things after an accident that involves loss or damage to persons or property.
If you were charged with an alcohol related offense, you really need to discuss this with a lawyer and what exactly you should tell your insurance company.