How Can a Ticket Affect My Insurance?

Points for Accidents

A Mecklenburg Traffic Attorney will be able to advise you whether a Waiver is available to you. A Waiver is used for individuals involved in “minor” accidents when an accident occurs, and there is no property damage, no conviction of a moving traffic offense, and no licensed operators in the insured’s household has had any at-fault accidents within the previous three years. However, if there is any bodily injury arising from the accident, the waiver will not be operable. In the event that an incident does generate accident and conviction points, only the higher of the points between the accident and the convictions from the accident will apply. The experience period for points is defined as the three years immediately preceding the date of application or the preparation of the renewal. Insurance points will be applied for three policy years.

Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP):

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Traffic Attorney can tell you that insurance policies are not as simple to understand as Insurers make them out to be. Safe driver insurance plan (SDIP) represents an attempt to reflect in automobile insurance rating the proposition that, in the aggregate, drivers who have violated the motor vehicle laws, or who have caused one or more accidents in the past, are more likely to be involved in automobile accidents in the future. The North Carolina SDIP also applies to motorcycles and motorized scooters. N.C. G.S. _58-36-65 and N.C. G.S. _58-36-75 provides the statutory basis for the SDIP.

Remember that the points are assessed against a policy based upon the points on the named insureds, listed drivers, and drivers in the households. In regards to Listed drivers and drivers in the household, if their points have already been used in surcharging the premium on another policy, there will be no further surcharged, on any other policy whatsoever.

Upon conviction of certain traffic offenses, insurance points are assigned to a driver; and based upon the number of points, the total premium for all coverages, except UM/UIM, will be surcharged. Only the driver convicted of the traffic offense or found at fault in an accident is given points (unless the operator is a listed driver on the owner’s policy; i.e. son on father’s policy). It is important to know that all coverages are surcharged, not just liability coverages.

Surcharges Based on the Number of Points:

The Amount of Points that you receive from a speeding ticket will dramatically affect your future payment for insurance. A prime example is when an individual receives a “Running Through a Stop Sign” which is a four point penalty in insurance points. The result will be a person paying 100 a month in car insurance will receive an additional charge of per month, this can increase your car insurance from 00 a year to 80 per year, which nearly doubles your insurance from receiving just one traffic citation.

As the above hypothetical illustrates, hiring a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Traffic Attorney is a very important task. An Attorney can assist you in exploring your options. You cannot afford to loose your license or have your insurance premiums skyrocket due to not being properly represented. Our Lawyers can even assist you in obtaining a limited driving privilege if necessary. Our Driving Defense is not limited to Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, but Gaston County, Cabarrus County, Lincoln County, Rowan County, and Iredell County as well. Call the law Offices of David Sheehan today and speak with a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Traffic and Speeding Ticket Attorney today.

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