Montgomery County DUI Damage Control
Being charged or arrested for driving under the influence can be an intimidating and often nerve-wracking experience. However with that said, it’s important you take the necessary steps to ensure that your situation doesn’t get any worse. For this reason, the following is information on the steps you should take following a DUI charge and whether you should contact your insurance.
To learn more about the impact of DUI charges or to begin building your defense, call and schedule a consultation with a Montgomery County DUI lawyer today.
First Things To Do Following a DUI Charge
The first thing that that any individual should do when charged with a DUI is to talk with an attorney. An attorney can look at the case and can make recommendations based on the specifics of your case. There are some things that are almost always applicable in all DUI cases, and there are some things that are going to be case specific.
The one thing that that is also generally applicable across all DUI cases is some form of alcohol education and treatment. Doing alcohol education and treatment in Maryland is an extremely good idea, especially if you can do it before you come to court. The norm in Maryland is for individuals to do treatment prior to court. If they do not, then they will look significantly worse than everyone else who is appearing in front of the judge that day who has done treatment. It is not an admission of guilt, but it works to an individual’s benefit and it never works toward an individuals determent in an alcohol case.
Impact of a DUI on Insurance
It can go up or it can remain the same. Obviously, it is never going to go down because of a DUI. If an individual is convicted, you can expect that the insurance rates will either go up or they are going to be dropped from their policy and they are going to need to get a new policy. However if an individual is receives probation before judgment in Maryland, usually that would mean that there is no effect on their insurance rates. Their insurance rates are going to stay the same as they were prior to the DUI.
Should Someone Charged Inform Their Insurance of the DUI?
There is no one answer to that question, it is going to depend on the individual facts and circumstances of the case. Individuals shouldn’t do anything until they speak to an attorney. An attorney can provide a lot of guidance that is fact specific as to whether you should inform your insurance company of the DUI. It is always a good idea to speak to an attorney whose primary interest is your best interest, rather than the insurance company whose primary interest is their shareholders’ best interests.