Reader’s Question:

What should I look for in an insurance company when trying to purchase a policy for my auto insurance here Hoover, Alabama?

Matt

Hoover, AL

To be able to have the best policy for your auto insurance in Hoover, Alabama, you need to make sure that you look around for several quotes from different auto insurance companies. But along with shopping around, you need to be careful about some things. First of all, the auto insurance company should be reputable and have already established a good name in the industry. You can do a little research about how the insurance company handles their claims. There are several ways to handle a claim and some people often fail to educate themselves about how the insurance company process their claims until they need to file it.

An insurance agent could be able to help you find answers on queries you might have about a certain auto insurance company. You need to listen to the agent that you are speaking with. Find out if the insurance agent sounds trustworthy or if he/she seems like trying to hide something. Also, be sure that the auto insurance company is financially stable and could actually pay should you have to file a claim.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance company, auto insurance policy

Reader’s Question:

I was told that getting comprehensive auto insurance would cost me more than getting just the minimum liability coverage. Before I buy auto insurance here in Decatur, Alabama, let me ask, what is the difference between these two types of coverage?

Flynn

Decatur, AL

The comprehensive auto insurance is a well-rounded type of auto insurance that offers every type of insurance options, for all types of vehicle insurance occurrences. Unlike the auto liability coverage, you will be covered by your comprehensive auto insurance in Decatur, Alabama even if you were at-fault during the accident. If the accident was your fault, the auto insurance provider would pay for the other motorist’s needs and also yours. However, the auto insurance provider has control over some facets of any claim you will make. For instance, you could consider that you paid $10,000 for you vehicle six months ago, and you think its value now is $9000.

The auto insurance provider could see it another way if you have to replace your automobile. They could calculate that the value of your car is only $5000. Furthermore, you could think that you still be in debt for $7000 for finance payments but your insurer will tell you that you paid more for your vehicle, when you should have paid less. Auto insurance providers wouldn’t usually pay over the ‘book’ value, no matter what you think your vehicle is worth.

Tags: auto insurance, auto liability insurance, comprehensive insurance coverage

Reader’s Question:

What are the things that an insurance agent will ask me if I get a car insurance for my business here in Huntsville, Alabama?

Darlene

Huntsville, AL

If you analyze what’s in a business and personal car insurance policy, you will see that there’s not much of a difference between the two. But you certainly must have to understand that these insurance policies have quite a few technical features that are unique from each other. If you have difficulty figuring out the differences between the two auto insurance policies, you can let an insurance agent in Huntsville, Alabama explain them to you. The insurance agent will help you decide if what you really need is a business policy.

There are several questions that would be asked about the automobile for your business. Some of these questions include:

-What will the car be used for;
-Will any of the employees drive the car; and
-Do you plan to use the car for both business and pleasure?

If you inform the insurance agent that you’re going to get double duty out of your car by using it for both pleasure and business, the coverage for both types of car insurance would be the same.

Tags: car, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My brother said that he would appeal for his DUI case here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama? How would he do that and does that mean that there would have a retrial?

Kaitlin

Tuscaloosa, AL

Maybe your brother wants to remove his DUI conviction in Tuscaloosa, Alabama from his record or maybe contest for a lesser sentence that’s why he wants to appeal for his case. That doesn’t mean a retrial but like a sheer re-examination of the proceedings to make sure that the trial was carried out properly. To appeal for his DUI, he would have to hire a DUI lawyer with a good reputation. Then he may speak with the judge who presided on the DUI case to seek for a new trial. This would be very unlikely but it’s the start of the appeal process.

Your brother should also have to file for the appeal quickly. Depending on the state law, he may have 10 to 30 days to file for a notice of appeal. But remember that if he has taken a plea bargain, he may have waived any rights for an appeal if the case did not go to trial. Make sure that his lawyer is on top of his case by obtaining copies of all briefs and forms filed with the court. Whatever the result of his appeal, he has to think about working with a group such as the National Council on Alcoholism.

Tags: advice, DUI, DUI conviction, DUI lawyer, DUI trial

Reader’s Question:

I was hoping I could find lower rate car insurance policy here in Montgomery, Alabama. How do you think I can compare auto insurance policies from different companies?

Apple

Montgomery, AL

Auto insurance policies have a lot of terms and coverage options. You have to have a dash of financial and legal knowledge to select a policy that is suitable for your needs. Most auto insurance agents are willing to provide you information about multiple options and quotes for possible coverage. However, they want you to purchase a policy from them, so shop around and get information from different agents.

You can consider the brand name of the company while comparing auto insurance quotes in Montgomery, Alabama. A company that has a good reputation in the marketplace makes them dependable and credible and that would help you when making claims. You can also check the deductible when reviewing the auto insurance quotes. Higher deductibles typically mean lower insurance premium rates on your auto insurance. You can opt to have a policy based on lower rates and higher deductibles or higher rates and lower deductibles, which depends on the type of auto insurance you want.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance policy, car insurance rate

Reader’s Question:

I think a friend of mine here in Mobile, Alabama has a drinking problem and it could also turn out to be a drinking and driving problem because he usually drives after having some drinks. Nobody wants him to get a DUI charge, so how do you think can I make him not drive after consuming alcohol?

Danika

Mobile, AL

First of all, if your try to talk to your friend whom you think has a drinking and driving problem, keep things light and avoid arguments and accusations. You can use humor so that you can get your hands on the car keys. This would definitely keep the situation from turning ugly. You might want to sneak the keys away and if all else fails, just take the keys when your friend is not looking. He would probably just think the keys were lost and eventually give up looking.

You may also suggest your friend to attend a treatment program if his drunken driving is already a part of the pattern. The American Council on Alcoholism does offer programs across the US. You should do this when you are both sober, and remember to be a good listener if your friend wants to discuss the problem. Also, if both of you are sober and talk about the problem, you can remind him that if he gets caught drunk driving and be charged with DUI in Mobile, Alabama, he will be facing a serious charge. A DUI conviction would have harsh legal ramifications and can affect a lot of aspects in his life like being barred entry in some countries, losing job or future job opportunities and having an increased premium rates on auto insurance for so many years.

Tags: auto insurance, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

If my drivers license was revoked due to DUI in TN, and after a year I was convicted of Driving on Revoked. What do I do to obtain a restricted license in Tuscaloosa Alabama?

Brenda

Tuscaloosa AL

According to the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS) driver license shall not be issued to any individual whose driving rights or privilege is revoked or suspended in any state.

The state of Alabama does not offer a hardship license if your drivers license has been revoked or suspended. This means you will not be given special permission to operate to and from work or to drive on the job.

So under the existing AL Code of laws a driver’s license may not be issued to any individual whose driving privilege or rights is revoked or suspended.

So currently in Alabama a hardship license is not available however you should verify with the AL legislation to check where HB 112 stands and if there is any hope of a hardship license being allowed in the near future in this state if this is where you are living. Even if the hardship license becomes available since it seems you do not have an Alabama license but one revoked in Tennessee you may still not be eligible for an Alabama license of any type, again you would have to verify with the Alabama DPS.

Tags: auto insurance, Driving without License, DUI

Reader’s Question:

My boyfriend drove my automobile and he got convicted of a DUI. How is this going to affect my car insurance rates in Hoover, AL?

Amelie

Hoover, AL

Typically, if a violation is written to a driver only and not against the automobile, it is the driver’s record that will be affected. If this is the case and your boyfriend got convicted of Driving Under The Influence or DUI in his name only then usually it would be his driving license and automobile insurance rates that would be affected by this citation and not your auto insurance rate in Hoover, Alabama.

Many states have harsh laws against driving under the influence (DUI) of either drugs or alcohol. A court conviction of a person operating while intoxicated, OWI, includes penalties such as course or seminars for drinking drivers and substance abuse evaluation and or treatment and 48 hour jail sentence for a first offense. This is drunk driving conviction may also come with a fine of up of to $1000.

Tags: auto insurance, drunk driving insurance, DUI, sr22 insurance

Reader’s Question:

I have a friend who has been recently charged with DUI here in Dothan, Alabama and according to the arresting officer, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol on my friend’s breath and on the vehicle that’s why he was cited for drunk driving. Does this strong odor of alcohol correlate with the actual blood alcohol level?

Belle

Dothan, AL

In a typical DUI arrest in Dothan, Alabama, it would be close to impossible that an officer would not say that he smelled an alcohol on the DUI suspect or on the vehicle. An officer would always mention that he smelled “a strong odor of alcohol on the suspect’s breath” that’s why he believes that the DUI suspect was drunk. But during the cross examination, the officer would look foolish when he would admit that alcohol (ethanol) itself has no odor. It’s the flavoring or the mixing agent that produces the odor we associate with alcohol. I understand that you may doubt this one but you can go to the market and buy a non-alcoholic beer and you would notice that it tastes and smells just like beer, but it doesn’t have alcohol.

Undoubtedly, studies show that the judgement of the police officer of how strong the person’s breath smells of alcohol simply has got nothing to do with his/her actual blood alcohol level. All that can be picked up from the “smell of alcohol on the breath” is that the DUI suspect probably consumed some alcohol recently. However, it doesn’t provide exact evidence that the person drank enough to have a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher or to be “under the influence.”

Tags: blood alcohol test, DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer

Reader’s Question:

During the arraignment can I represent myself in trial? What can a lawyer do for me? What will is the asking price to get a lawyer in Montgomery, AL?

Carrie

Montgomery, AL

These are really good questions. Carrie, you can stand for yourself — though it is not really an excellent idea. DWI is an extremely multifaceted field with more and more harsh penalty. There is a field of complex bureaucratic, evidentiary, legitimate, punishment and administrative license matters.What can a lawyer do for you? In actual honesty, there is nothing. If he is not capable in this extremely specific turf then he really could not help you. A capable attorney, on the other hand, can evaluate the case for imperfections, hold back evidence, force discovery of such things as regulation and maintenance records for the breath machine, have blood samples separately analyzed, bargain for a lesser accusation or reduced sentence, get hold of expert witnesses for trial, and dispute the administrative license suspension.This differs, of course, by the status and familiarity of the lawyer and by the location of the firm. Generally, the more skilled the attorney is, the more expensive their fees are. An associated factor is the quantity of time a lawyer dedicates to his cases: the good lawyers take less clients, spending more time on each.In Montgomery Alabama the standard range for an attorney is approximately from $1,500 to $2,500. Aspects that may be the basis of the fee to be amplified or reduced include: Is the case a misdemeanor or felony? If former convictions are suspected, the measures for attacking them might put in to the cost. The cost may or might not include hearing or pleas. Expenses such as skilled witness fees, autonomous blood analysis, refurbish of subpoenas, and others may be extra.