Contacting Insurance After a DUI
One of our Maryland DUI attorneys explains how you should contact your insurance company if you receive a DUI in MD, especially if an accident is involved.
Should An Individual Speak To Their Insurance Provider About a DUI?
This is kind of a tricky question. Insurance companies all have private relationships with their clients and their customers. So how or when a person decides to report something to their insurance company really has a great deal to do with their relationship with their insurance company. There is not going to be a report from the courts or from the police directly to the insurance company saying, “This person got charged with a DUI, and now they are going to be facing this court date.” No notice like that is ever sent out to an insurance company provider.
Sometimes people are under an obligation, based on their own agreements with their insurance company, to report when they are charged with something. Far more often, individuals will wait. The right answer may be to wait until after you have actually been convicted of the charge or not convicted of the charge.
Regardless, it’s a good idea to speak with an attorney if you have a question about whether it may be advantageous, under your unique circumstances, to speak with your insurance company about the events that include your DUI charges.
What If An Accident Is Involved?
Well when somebody is charged with a DUI and there’s an accident associated with that DUI, there is usually going to be an accident report of some kind as well. This is a little different than a straightforward DUI offense. The reason for that is because, quite obviously, if somebody is involved in an accident, there may be property damage or personal injury. In these situations, there are going to be multiple parties that an individual might be asked to talk to such as their own insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver to determine who’s at fault.
Things to Know about Providing Statements
As a rule of thumb, it’s important to know, you are never required to speak to anybody without the assistance of a lawyer. Frankly, it’s not a good idea to speak to anybody without the assistance of a lawyer. Some people think that it might be okay to talk to their own insurance company without a lawyer because their own insurance company is working for them and has their own best interest at heart. While your own insurance company may have your best interest at heart, this does not mean that you should necessarily be speaking to them without the assistance of an attorney.
Many insurance companies, even if they’re your own, require you to give a recorded statement immediately after an accident about exactly what took place. That recorded statement could be used against you at your criminal proceedings when your DUI charges are actually being litigated and could negatively impact your defense.
Speak with an Experienced DUI Attorney
So before talking to anybody, including your own insurance company, it’s important to talk to a lawyer first. If your insurance company happens to contact you before you have an opportunity to speak to a lawyer, then politely let your insurance company know that you do not want to have a conversation with them until you have an attorney on the line. They are very used to this procedure and will most likely be very respectful of your decision.