Driving under the influence (or DUI) is a severe offense. If you have ever had a DUI conviction, you without doubt know that the consequences can be both embarrassing and pricey. Aside from the fines, attorney fees, and license suspension, there are the more long-standing consequences, such as the impact on your car insurance rates and coverage.
If you are convicted of a DUI, more often than not, your insurance company will find out about the DUI and will deal with you in one of two ways. Normally, your rates will go up, sometimes significantly, or, the company will simply terminate your policy. If your insurance company raises your premiums but keeps you as an insured, you will likely be labeled a “high-risk driver.” Most states require the insurance company to provide the state motor vehicle agency (DMV, MVD) with an SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate, which removes your license suspension by providing the state with proof that you are insured.
While this is all starting to ok, the catch is that not all insurance companies offer SR-22 policies. So your policy may be non-renewed or cancelled simply because the company can no longer supply insurance for you. In some states, insurers can’t cut you off in the middle of the policy term, so be sure to check on the laws where you live.
John Musca – Fl DUI Attorney
John Musca, Esq.
Naples, Florida
phone (239) 793-5297
fax (239) 774-3229
About John Musca and Musca Law:
With nine offices throughout south, southwest and southeast Florida, the DUI defense attorneys at Musca Law defend clients charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI).
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) is a serious offense. A DUI may cause you to lose you drivers’ license, to receive an exorbitant fine, to watch your insurance rates skyrocket, and may even cause you to lose your freedom.
The penalties are even more serious if you were involved in an accident or vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
You should know you only have 10 days from the date you were arrested for DUI to request an administrative review hearing to retain your driving privileges.
DUI Terms
Absorption Rate: The rate at which consumed alcohol finds its way into the blood stream. While alcohol sits in the stomach, its absorption is delayed. Absorption rate will be affected by how much was eaten, individual biologic differences, and what type of beverage was consumed. When drinking continues over a course of hours, both absorption and “burnoff” (metabolizing of alcohol) will be happening simultaneously.
Administrative License Suspension: A law that allows the prompt suspension of the license of drivers charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) when a driver has a BAC above the prescribed limit, or sometimes if a driver refuses to take a roadside blood or breath test. Thus the license may be suspended before adjudication of the DWI charge.
BAC: Short for “blood alcohol concentration.” BAC refers to the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream and is measured in percentages. BAC can be measured either by breath, blood or urine testing and is often used by law enforcement to determine whether or not a motorist is “legally drunk.” All 50 states have adopted BAC laws that make it illegal to drive with a BAC at or above a set amount. As of May of 2007, all 50 states have adopted 0.08% as the BAC limit.
Blood Test: A laboratory test that directly measures the percentage of alcohol content of the blood drawn from a DWI suspect.
Breath Test: A test of blood alcohol level that is derived from measuring the alcohol level of the suspect’s breath. It depends for its accuracy on the machine’s receiving air from deep in the lungs, and a mathematical formula is used to extrapolate the blood alcohol level from the lung-air alcohol level.
John Musca
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