A DUI Will Hurt You in the Wallet
Getting a DUI is embarrassing, is a hassle due to all the hoops you have to jump through and it impacts your freedom to drive for a period of time. It can also be very expensive!
This article will deal with just some of the most obvious costs associated with a DUI. Let’s start with the first financial impact following the arrest for a DUI. Most states will send a DUI offender to jail for at least 24 hours. In order to be released you’ll have to get a bail-bondsman to submit the assigned bail to the court. The cost of bail varies with the city and state but can run from $100 to as high as $2,000. Let’s be conservative and say the average is $450.00.
You’ll probably need an attorney to go before the court on your behalf to plead the DUI. If you plead guilty, the cost for the attorney might be between $200 and $400. If you plead not guilty, then the sky is the limit for the attorney cost. For the sake of this article, let’s say the average is $300 for the attorney’s time.
In most states your vehicle will be towed to a storage yard following your arrest. Cost for towing can vary from $100 to over $1,000 in some cities. Storage can run from $50 to over $200 per day, so in order to retrieve your car once released, it could cost you an average of $500.00 for towing and storage costs.
If you are insured with a preferred insurance company, it is likely that they will drop you once they find out you’ve had a DUI. Now you’ll need to find an insurance company that will write you a policy and perhaps have to file an SR22 for you. Those rates can double or even triple what you were used to paying. Also, the DUI will stay on your record for a minimum of 3 years so you’ll be paying higher rates for the 3-year period. Let’s say the average is $4,000 additional dollars for the 3-year period.
The average costs for these items is over $5,000!
We haven’t even talked about probable costs for alcohol treatment classes that might be required by the court, or any additional fines that the court might impose on you due to the DUI. There might be an additional $1,000-$2,000 involved if these are required as well.
Needles to say, your wallet has been impacted to the tune of over $5,000 and your life impacted as well.
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Have you had a DUI, DWI, or other driving offense that required form SR 22 insurance filing or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.