When faced with a Tampa DUI charge, many attorneys are often asked about the financial impacts of a driving under the influence charge by their clients. Anyone that has watched any amount of TV in the last five years has seen those unforgettable ads by the National Transportation Safety Board or “NTSB” as it is more commonly known that identify the parties involved in a driving under the influence charge, including a tow truck driver, bail bondsman, insurance agent, attorney and judge. All these individuals discuss the financial hardships and costs of their services in a driving under the influence charge. Obviously, a driving under the influence charge will increase someone’s insurance rates in the future. We often tell people that they should anticipate their insurance rates to be affected for at least 10 years after their DUI charge.
Further, oftentimes, the Florida Department of Highway Safety Motor Vehicles requires individuals with a driving under the influence charge to get specialized high risk insurance, more commonly known as SR44 insurance. This SR44 insurance is more expensive than common insurance and requires generally three to six months to be paid up front. Again, this combined with the other fees and court costs of the driving under the influence charge puts a significant financial strain on our clients, and we do everything we can to minimize this financial stress during the DUI case. Obviously though, the best place to discuss your insurance rates after a DUI arrest is with your insurance agent. We encourage our clients to shop around and look for the best rates, especially after their traffic history is so significantly affected with a Tampa DUI charge.
If you have questions concerning your Tampa DUI or other criminal matters, contact the Tampa DUI attorneys at Hackworth Law for a free case consultation. We’ve handled thousands of criminal matters throughout the Tampa Bay area and look forward to working with you on your criminal case to find an effective, aggressive strategy to defend your rights. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa DUI attorneys immediately, please use the “contact us now” tab in the upper right-hand corner of our website. We appreciate you taking the time to check out our blog and look forward to working with you.