Damage Control After a Baltimore DUI

When someone is charged with a DUI in Baltimore, the first thing that person should do is to call a lawyer. This is the first and most important step in controlling the damage from a DUI charge. The individual should tell the Baltimore DUI lawyer where they were when they were stopped, and everything that happened to the best of their recollection. That small window of time is important. Every situation is unique. Every case is unique. Every client is unique. In that moment, an individual charged with a DUI needs a lawyer and getting their lawyer right away is of the utmost importance.

Utilizing Breath Test Results

To move forward in a DUI case, the lawyer needs to know immediately what the individual’s breath test results were. If they refused a breath test, the lawyer will want to address how to move forward on licensing matters. The lawyer will get court dates, discovery from the state, and most importantly, get what is called an alcohol or drug assessment or screening done. Every single client should have it done regardless of how they proceed, be it by trial or by plea.

Alcohol Assessments

Everyone needs to have an assessment following a DUI charge. There is no guarantee that an individual will win in trial, and if it is a plea, they want to go in there with a body of work. These programs can be 12 hours, 26 hours, or even 48 hours for those truly considered at-risk or high-risk drinkers. For a 12 hour course, doing one hour a week will take 12 weeks. Chances are a person may be in court well before that.

Therefore, the immediacy of the response and proactive work is always important. Even if the case goes to trial and the individual wins, they will still get some educational value out of the course.

Insurance Following a DUI

If an individual is convicted, their insurance rates will spike. DUIs tend to hit insurance very hard. If an individual is eligible for Probation Before Judgment, then it is not a conviction and it does not increase one’s insurance. It does not go to MVA for purposes of conviction. There are no points on the license. All of those things are very important.

There is no guarantee that someone is going to get Probation Before Judgment, however. If an individual is convicted, the points hit their license, and their insurance finds out about it, then not only will their insurance go up, but they may also face another motor vehicle administrative hearing where their license could be suspended because of the points. Then the individual’s insurance will go up again, not just for the DUI, but for the suspension of the license.

Informing an Insurance Provider

An individual does not have to tell their insurance company anything. They do not have to know about a DUI charge. In fact, the fewer people that are told, the better. If someone hears an individual has a DUI, they will assume that person is a drunk and that is not true. Good people make mistakes. Some people do rely too heavily on alcohol and drink excessively, but just because someone has a DUI does not mean that that is the case. A good person can make a simple mistake and while it does come with subsequent consequences, an individual can get a strong lawyer and the lawyer can really tailor their approach to the case and try to keep a client safe.

No matter what a person charged with a DUI should talk to their lawyer first, before talking to insurance.