One of the biggest mistakes someone can make in their life and impact their finances is getting a DUI charge or driving under the influence. This can be driving with alcohol or another narcotic in your system. Drunk driving is when a person is driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of .08, which is above the legal limit. To be charged, you must have either been pulled over and ticketed by the police, or you were the cause of an accident when the police were called to the scene. Below are different ways a DUI can impact your finances over time.
Increased Insurance Rates
Once pulled over or charged with a DUI, that incident report will be sent to your auto insurance company, especially if damage is involved. All insurance companies will see this as a risk, and if they don’t drop you immediately, your premiums will increase because of this. For many, these rates will double, and if you have multiple vehicles on your policy, you will see the rate go up for them. They may even require you to have some additional classes and proof of that to have it removed later when you’ve been rehabilitated.
Pay for Lawyer Fees
If you are charged with a DUI, you will spend some time in jail for the night. Depending on the extent of the charge and how many offenses you have for drunk driving, you may have a longer sentence. There are approximately 2 million inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails, with a good portion of these individuals having charges related to DUI. When you are charged with a DUI, you will need to hire a lawyer to help manage your sentencing, and these aren’t cheap lawyers. You will have to pay by the hour, and if you want the best lawyers to assist with your charges, you will pay more than some of the less experienced lawyers.
Potential Job Loss
Depending on your job type, you could suffer a job loss for getting a DUI. If you are pulled over or caused an accident, it is best to go ahead and be cooperative so that the charges may not be as hard. In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 52% of police department administrators said that police body cameras help cooperate between the arrested person and the officer charging them. By fighting the arrest, you could get more charges that are more violent and force your employer to terminate you.
Losing your job will significantly impact your home, especially if you are the main income. This could force you to start looking for work at minimum wages and put your home in foreclosure if you can’t pay. Some lose their vehicles and other property due to not making payments. Many who suffer from DUI charges, especially multiple charges, have their finances suffer significantly.
Pay for Damages
If you’ve been charged with damages on top of your DUI, you will be responsible for things like medical expenses, vehicle repair, and any other property that was damaged in the incident. These will need to be paid out of your personal expenses, which means you may have to sell assets to cover these expenses, dip into savings, and other parts of your finances to find the funds and pay. If you don’t pay, you could find yourself in prison, meaning there is a job loss. These damages could also mean future payments that will affect you for the long term.
When you decide to drink and drive, you aren’t just putting safety into jeopardy, but also your finances. The impacts of a job loss, higher insurance rates, and having to pay out fees for lawyers and damages will impact your home finances for years to come. These consequences will linger and can change the course of everyone who depends on your finances in the long term.
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