DUI and Insurance Rates and Risks in Canada

Almost nothing will raise your insurance rates as significantly as a DUI conviction (over 80, impaired, or refusal). On average, your insurance will will triple after your first DUI. In some cases, your insurer may deem you to be uninsurable. In cases of multiple DUIs, insurance rates can become so high that is it not practical for the driver to insure themselves. As if a tripled insurance rate wasn't bad en

DUIs involving car accidents

ough, if you are involved in a car accident while drunk you will likely have to pay for the damage associated to your vehicle yourself. This is because your insurance policy only covers you while you are abiding by its terms. It is a violation of the insurance policy to drive drunk.

If a third party also sustained damages, you could also end up having to pay for these amounts too. While provincial insurance law requires your insurer to pay the costs to injured third parties, your insurance company is then entitled to sue you to recover these amounts. If personal injury or significant property damage results from the accident, these costs can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars (pain and suffering, future income losses, medical bills, etc.).

DUIs involving children of the insurance policy holder

If your teenager is insured on your policy and gets into a DUI accident. You, the parent, could be legally on the hook to pay damages to your insurance company to reimburse them for their payouts to the injured 3rd party. One bad night could force a teen's parents into bankruptcy. Most parent's are unaware of the tremendous financial risk they assume when they let their children take their car and the teen drinks and drives.

Will my insurance company find out about my DUI/impaired driving charges?

If you are ultimately convicted of an impaired driving offence your insurance company will be able to access this information through the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario. Your insurance policy may also require you to proactively disclose this information. If you are required to proactively disclose charges or convictions and you fail to do so it may be grounds to consider your policy void and for the insurance company to sue you if they have to pay out money for future claims.

If you switch insurance companies in the future you will be asked about charges during the application process and they will discover it when they run a driving abstract on you. If you lie and they do not discover it you risk being sued for money paid out to any third parties resulting from claims against you.

Driving without insurance

Individuals with DUIs are the most frequent illegal drivers on the roads because of lack of insurance and violating provincial and criminal driving prohibitions. Driving without insurance or while suspended can generate further tremendous criminal and financial consequences if caught.

Many people forget that even if they drive perfectly they can be discovered because someone else on on the road made a mistake. All it takes is for someone else to rear end you and you can be caught for driving without insurance even though you did nothing to cause the accident.

Call us today.
You don't have to jeopardize your future or waste thousands of dollars on excessive legal fees. We provide effective and affordable lawyer representation for those charged with impaired driving offences throughout Ontario.

Have a skilled criminal lawyer who focuses on impaired driving related charges protect you and your future from the stigma and consequences of a criminal record.





Are you a lawyer? If you are defending an impaired driving related case and are looking for expert advice regarding possible defences, case strategies, and information release management call us at: 647-228-5969.

Please note: We do not accept legal aid certificate cases. All clients are handled on a private retainer only.

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