I had recently been convicted of DUI and my insurer here in Washington canceled my current policy and they said I should get a DUI SR22 Insurance. I felt very bad about this for I have been insured with them for several years already and now that I had a problem they suddenly canceled my policy. Are they right in doing this to me and what is DUI SR22 Insurance and how does this work?

Bryan

Tacoma, WA

Once a driver is convicted of DUI in Washington, most car insurers will either cancel your current policy or they will never renew it even if you have been having business with them for many years. A DUI SR22 Insurance is a policy that is designed for those who have been convicted of driving under influences’ offense. There are car insurance companies that can give you DUI SR22 Insurance but since you are labelled as a high risk driver it could create more problems in time that’s why you should get a DUI SR22 Insurance.

When a driver is convicted of DUI, they usually want you to present a proof that you have car insurance with DUI for around three to five years with Washington’s Department of Motor Vehicle. Your insurers will file an SR22 form to DMV in order for your driver’s license suspension to be lifted. The car insurance company will charge you the rate depends on your policy and state rules. Every states has a different length of time on how long your DUI conviction remain on the record and as long as the record remains then that is also how long your premium is affected. If you have a DUI SR22 Insurance and had another conviction, the process would be easier and faster and this is something you should get as a responsible driver for we don’t know when accident strikes.

I may have to dispute the figure that my auto insurance company here in Washington gave me regarding the value of my car which has been totaled. How can I argue against their offer and tell them that my car’s worth is more than what they are saying?

Garth

Tacoma, WA

If you do not agree with the figure that your car insurance provider in Washington gave you as the replacement value of your totalled vehicle, there several points that you need to remember. Car insurance companies have exclusive software to find out how much is the amount to replace your vehicle, with its present mileage and its form before the accident, at a dealership in your neighborhood. This may mean that your insurer acquires a bid for the lowest amount the dealer agrees to for your vehicle and not the amount the dealer may charge you. A lot of insurers would search as well within 100-mile range to compare prices.

To argue against the offer of your car insurance provider, you have to obtain price quotes from dealers within an acceptable distance in your area. You may ask Washington’s insurance department to figure out that ‘acceptable’ distance. The figures that you have to come up with should be higher than the offer of your car insurance provider. You should have a proof in writing that the replacement value of your car is more than the amount that the car insurance provider agrees to pay.

My father is a company driver and just two days ago, he was charged with DUI here in Washington. He wasn’t fired by the company he works for because he has been employed there for more than a decade and this is his first DUI charge. What would be the effects of his DUI arrest on his job as a driver?

Izzie

Shoreline, WA

A DUI arrest in Washington State sets in motion two ways that your father can suffer due to loss of his license. First is the administrative license suspension at the hands of the Department of Licensing and by court action if he is subsequently convicted of DUI.

Immediately after the DUI arrest, if he didn’t refuse the blood alcohol test, his driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days and he may be eligible to have a temporary restricted license but only after he has served 30 days of the suspension. Thus, since his job absolutely depends upon driving, a DUI arrest can make him unable to perform his job for a minimum of 30 days.

If he survives the 30 days of absolute suspension, he will then be eligible for a temporary restricted license which will permit him to drive to and from work for the remaining 60 days of the 90-day license suspension. His employer must sign the temporary restricted license application.

Since your father is driving a company car, as a condition of granting a temporary restricted license after a DUI arrest, the Washington State Department of Licensing requires proof that an ignition interlock device is installed in the vehicle that your father is driving. This device is a breath testing machine attached to the car’s ignition that he must blow into every time he starts the vehicle and also periodically while driving the vehicle. The car will not start if alcohol is present and the horn will honk and lights flash if alcohol is detected while driving.