A Michigan OWI conviction can result in serious consequences including jail time and the suspension of your driver's license. In addition to the penalties imposed by the court and the Secretary of State, you may also face a number of collateral consequences from your employer, any professional boards you belong to, and your insurance agency.
OWI Conviction Consequences for Insurance RatesInsurance rates will typically increase following a DUI conviction. This is because if someone has been convicted of OWI or even has a speeding ticket, they are considered a higher insurance risk than somebody who has a perfect driving record. For someone who has only been charged with a DUI/OWI offense, there should not be any impact on the insurance rates because a charge is only an accusation and it has not been proven. Upon a conviction, the insurance provider may choose to drop a person from coverage, however, it varies from company to company
If the charge is reduced to a lesser charge or no charge at all, it can have a big impact on what a person's insurance rates would be. For example, if you were charged with Operating While Intoxicated and it was ultimately resolved with a civil infraction of some sort, there may be fewer points or no points at all on your license. There might not be a rate increase, or a smaller rate increase, if there is a conviction for a lesser offense or an entirely different offense.
It is important to note that an OWI conviction can affect more than just your auto insurance coverage. For example, a drunk driving conviction could also affect your ability to obtain life insurance coverage. Additionally, your employer could take action against you, especially if your job involves driving or maintaining a security clearance. Any professional licenses that you hold may be suspended or revoked, depending on the circumstances of your case.
OWI Car Accident PenaltiesMichigan takes a firm stance against OWI offenders who cause accidents. For example, if you were intoxicated and involved in an accident that caused serious injuries, you could face a fine of up to $5,000 as well as five years in prison. If the accident resulted in death, you could be fined up to $10,000 and the prison sentence could increase to 15 years. If a police officer or firefighter was killed as a result of the accident, you could spend up to 20 years behind bars.
Importance of an AttorneyHaving a DUI conviction can affect people pretty substantially depending on what their line of work is or other factors in their lives.
If you are someone who might be greatly affected by having a conviction on your record or might lose your job, then contacting somebody who has experience in this area of law might be very helpful to you. There are a lot of different results that could happen from the same set of facts in a case and preventing or mitigating a conviction could have a huge impact on your life.