High-Risk Auto Insurance Following an Arizona DUI
While the Phoenix DUI attorneys of The Gillespie Law Firm are helping you deal with the criminal and administrative risks of a DUI arrest, we also advise our clients about their auto insurance options. Our goal is to keep you out of the SR22 insurance classification whenever possible. For many drunk driving convictions, the defendant will be ordered by the MVD to carry SR22 insurance as a condition of driver's license reinstatement. Contact our office in Phoenix to learn how we work to protect your practical interests as well as your legal position.
What Is SR22 Insurance?
An SR22 insurance policy is proof of financial responsibility to a state's license-issuing authority. The SR22 designation essentially serves as an instruction to the insurance carrier to notify the state if the policy is cancelled for any reason. Because SR22 coverage is issued to motorists whose licenses have previously been suspended through court action, those who carry this insurance are regarded as high-risk drivers who must accordingly pay higher premiums.
The best way to avoid the SR22 insurance designation is to keep your license out of suspension by winning your criminal DUI case and your MVD hearing. However, first offenders can still be exempt from the SR22 requirement if you accept or "stipulate" to your suspension prior to the DUI conviction. Drivers in this situation can usually qualify for a restricted driving privilege through the last 60 days of the nominal 90-day suspension.
The other way to achieve exemption from the SR22 insurance obligation is to defeat the license suspension case before the MVD, then achieve either the dismissal of the criminal DUI charge or a guilty plea to a non-DUI offense. At The Gillespie Law Firm, our experience with all aspects of drunk driving defense allows us to coordinate the resolution of your criminal case with your driver's license and auto insurance issues.
For more information about the best ways to avoid the SR22 insurance requirement in Arizona, discuss your situation with an experienced DUI defense lawyer. Contact The Gillespie Law Firm in Phoenix for a free consultation.
