Maybe you drank way more than you thought at your work party or you decided you weren’t going to drink and then, whoops – you’re now six egg nogs deep.

Maybe you were the designated driver and peer pressure got to you. What do you do in these scenarios?

Options To Avoid A Missouri DWI

Not only are you facing a fine or jail time, but a DWI can have serious effects on your driving privileges. Here are a few tips to avoiding hurting yourself or others this holiday season.

Get A Room!

If you are traveling for Thanksgiving, Christmas or the New Year, grab a hotel room or Airbnb nearby. Even if you are traveling 30 minutes down the road, make the trip a staycation if you plan on drinking.

Host the Get-Together

Hosting a party with your germ pod may be the last obstacle you want to face this year, but it is still a better option than driving while intoxicated. Instead of traveling this season, have your family or friends come to you. This way, you can be in control of drinking and taking people’s keys if they shouldn’t be driving either.

Uber/Lyft

The most realistic option for the holidays if you live in a well-populated area is taking an Uber or Lyft home. Paying $10 to $20 to get home safely is way cheaper than paying thousands of dollars in fines for a DUI/DWI or lifetime of regret because you hurt yourself or someone else.

Get A Sober Driver

Black-out Wednesday and New Year’s Eve are holidays you may not be spending with your family. If you traveled home this holiday season, call your mom or dad or friend or brother to pick you up. Yes, it sounds like the last thing you might want to do but guaranteed your parents or someone out there cares enough about you to come pick you up – even if they are half awake and annoyed with you.

Hold Off On Drinking

Although the holiday season is all about celebrating, eating a lot of food and gathering with friends and family, it might be best to hold off any gatherings this year. With the increased spread of COVID-19, it might be best to save yourself from the risk of contracting the virus and a DUI/DWI at the same time this year.

Missouri DWI / DUI Defense Attorney

If you decide to drink and drive this season and get a DUI/DWI, it is best to consult with a lawyer as soon as you can. There are many circumstances in which you can obtain a DUI/DWI and multiple other charges.

An attorney can look over your arrest report, charges and evidence to guide you in court. There may be circumstances where you pay the fine, have a probation period, but do not have the DUI/DWI on your record.

However, other times you can lose your license or see a huge increase in insurance rates. Consult a lawyer before you simply accept the charges against you.

If you are in Missouri and need a lawyer for a DUI/DWI or traffic-related fine this holiday season, contact the attorneys at Marler Law Partners for a free consultation.

The post Avoiding A Missouri DWI / DUI This Holiday Season appeared first on Marler Law Partners.

However, there are several factors insurance companies will consider that you should keep in mind before giving an attorney a call. 

Who Caused The Accident / Who Was At Fault?  

An insurance company will only pay for injuries that are its responsibility. If a police report or witness statement doesn’t match up with yours, you may need an attorney to step in and make sure the insurance company has the correct information pertaining to your case.  

Some important questions to help determine liability include: 

• Did you get rear-ended? 
• Did the other driver obey the traffic signal/stop sign? 
• Are there witnesses? 
• What does the police report say? 

Make sure to grab the contact information of any witnesses so that your claims can be backed up. 

How Bad Is The Damage / Your Injuries? 

The insurance company will evaluate how much your claim is worth based on the extent of damage to your car and your injuries.  

Your medical records – and not just those pertaining to the accident – will be used, as well as your bills and any documents of further treatment. The more documents and receipts you have tied to your injury, the better value you get in your case. 

It’s also good to account for other indirect costs related to the injury. The unpaid days you had to take off of work, the cost of renting or using another car, the cost of childcare during doctors’ appointments and more can all factor in. Be sure to document the following: 

• Did you see a doctor/ go to the emergency room? 
• Did you have follow up treatment or medication? 
• Did you have to take time off work? 
• Was this injury already existing and now needs more attention?  

When in doubt, bring your expenses from the weeks and months following the accident and Marler Law Partners can determine if the costs can be considered related to your injury or car accident.  

Other Factors That Affect Settlement Value: 

In addition to the facts of the case, there are a number of other considerations that influence a settlement. Some of these include:  

• Your age 
• Your social media profiles 
• Your health/condition prior to the accident 
• Unsafe actions by you or the other party (texting and driving, no seatbelt, etc.) 
• Reliability of your account – did your story change? What about the other party’s? 

When in doubt, it’s always best to consult with an attorney – after all, it’s free to consult with your friends at Marler Law!  

If you’ve been in an accident in St. Louis or Southeast Missouri, Scott Pecher is one of the best attorneys in the region. He’s been on both sides of the table, representing insurance companies and as well as countless clients like you.  

If you’re going up against the big insurance companies, you are much better equipped with someone who knows how they manage their claims and calculate what injuries are worth. 

If You’ve Been In A Car Accident, Schedule A Free Consult With The Attorneys Of Marler Law Partners Today! 

The post What’s My Car Accident Injury Worth? appeared first on Marler Law Partners.

Because the rideshare industry only formed in the past decade, it’s still a relatively new area for insurance policies and regulation. Insurance companies are still developing and updating rideshare agreements for coverage as the industry evolves.

If you’ve been injured in a rideshare crash, it’s always a good idea to consult with a lawyer experienced with negotiating with the rideshare insurance companies (such as the trusted attorneys of Marler Law Partners) before filing a claim.

What Happens In An Accident With Uber Or Lyft?

Both Uber and Lyft provide insurance for their drivers on top of the driver’s personal auto insurance policy required by Missouri law.

Rideshare drivers’ personal auto insurance policies will deny claims if the driver was using the car for work, so Lyft or Uber’s coverage is necessary. Uber or Lyft’s policies should cover any damages or injuries resulting from the accident.

If you are injured in an accident while riding as an Uber or Lyft passenger, you are protected by the companies’ commercial liability policy. Both Uber and Lyft have $1 million policies in place for injured passengers as long as they are in transit to a destination and the driver’s app is active.

If the Uber or Lyft driver was at fault, you might be eligible to pursue an injury claim against the driver (and his or her personal insurance policy) as well as the rideshare company.

What Are Missouri’s Laws Regarding Uber And Lyft?

In 2017, the Missouri legislature passed HB130. Previously, both Uber and Lyft were only operating out of metropolitan areas (St. Louis, Springfield and Kansas City) at the same rate as local taxi companies.

This law allowed both companies to expand their services statewide as long as they paid a licensing fee and adhere to a nondiscrimination policy.

All drivers are also required to submit to background checks (as is policy in both rideshare companies) and purchase vehicle liability insurance.

What Does Insurance Cover?

As a passenger, you are covered by Lyft or Uber’s liability insurance policy for any injuries caused by the accident as long as your driver was successfully logged into the app.

If the driver was not, you may have to file a claim through the driver’s personal insurance coverage.

As a driver, the amount of insurance coverage by Lyft or Uber may depend on which of the following “periods” you fall into.

• Period 0: App is off. Your personal policy covers you.
• Period 1: App is on, you’re waiting for ride request. A personal policy without ridesharing coverage doesn’t cover you. Uber and Lyft insurance limited to liability coverage.
• Period 2: Request accepted, and you’re en route to pick up a passenger. Your rideshare employer’s policy is in full force.
• Period 3: You have passengers in the car. Your rideshare employer’s policy is in full force.

What Should I Do If I’m In An Accident Involving Uber Or Lyft?

Car accidents with Uber or Lyft can be confusing to navigate because of the ever-changing laws at the local and state level regulating these companies.

Insurance carriers also like to put responsibility on someone else, like the driver’s personal auto insurance.

Ridesharing liability can be difficult to understand. If you have any questions or would like someone to walk you through your options, be sure to speak with an experienced lawyer to verify everything is processed properly.

Contact The Attorneys Of Marler Law Partners Today For A Free Consultation >>

The post Rideshare Apps & Accidents: Who Is Liable? appeared first on Marler Law Partners.

These points can determine many things, including your eligibility to have a license, any driving restrictions and even the cost of your car insurance.

Read below to learn how you get points, when they go away, and how to get them removed early!

Missouri’s Point System

On average, each moving violation (failure to stop at stop sign, speeding, etc) will add 2 points to your record. Below is a list of other common driving violations.

• Speeding ticket issued by state police officer – 3 points
• Speeding ticket issued by county or municipal police officer – 2 points
• DWI (1st time) – 8 points
• Driving While Suspended – 12 points
• Failure to Produce Insurance I.D. – 4 points
• No Driver’s License (1st time) – 2 points
• Failure to Yield Right-of-Way – 2 points

For a full list of traffic violations and points assessed, visit the Missouri Department of Revenue website.

License Suspension/Revocation

In Missouri your license will get suspended if you get 8 or more points within 18 months.

• 1st suspension – 30 days
• 2nd suspension – 60 days
• 3rd or more suspensions – 90 days

Your driving privileges will be revoked for one year if you get:

• 12 or more points in 12 months
• 18 or more points in 24 months
• 24 or more points in 36 months

How Long Are Points On My Record?

After your driving privileges are re-instated following a point suspension/revocation, your total points will get reduced to 4. Every year you drive without receiving additional points, your points will be reduced.

Your points can be reduced to 0, but some convictions will require the points to be on your record permanently.

How Do I Remove Tickets From My Record?

Although your points may come off your record after 18 months, tickets will remain on your record for three years or more.

If the ticket leads to a suspension or revocation of your license, the ticket will stay on your record for 5 years. However, some tickets stay on your record permanently, such as DWIs, no insurance, vehicular manslaughter and other serious violations.

Although some tickets are automatically removed from your record when the Missouri Department of Revenue does an annual sweep of their records, not all tickets that are eligible for removal get caught.

Keep track of the tickets on your record and call the Missouri Department of Revenue to see if they are eligible for removal.

How A Traffic Attorney Can Help With Suspensions or Guilty Pleas

If your license is suspended due to a failure to pay ticket fines, then you can hire a lawyer to negotiate a plea bargain to change your tickets to non-moving violations, which will reduce they points on your record and remove the suspension.

If you already plead guilty and paid ticket fines without using an attorney, you can retroactively consult with an attorney and have them file a motion on your behalf to amend the plea and in some cases, remove all points.

When in doubt about whether tickets and points are eligible to be removed from your record, call your friends at Marler Law Partners to get the most accurate information for your situation.

Schedule A Free Consultation With The Skilled Traffic Lawyers Of Marler Law Partners Today! >>

The post Missouri Driver Pro-Tips: Keeping Points Off Your License appeared first on Marler Law Partners.