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Helping You Avoid Mistakes Involving Your Traffic Ticket

If you have received a ticket in Iredell County, do NOT pay it off at the courthouse or by using payticket.org as provided to you by the officer or clerk’s office. Doing this almost always results in points against your license and an increase in your insurance premiums. You may not realize it now, but this can have far-reaching consequences that can be avoided depending on your circumstances.

At Griffin Law, PLLC, in Statesville, we have handled numerous traffic matters over the years involving local North Carolinians to out-of-state drivers. We understand the laws and work and the best approach to keeping points off your license and ensuring your insurance premiums don’t go up because of a criminal offense. For most clients, we can achieve these successful results without ever having to appear in court.

What Is The Difference Between License Points And Insurance Points?

Even though a traffic violation such as a speeding ticket, moving violation or DWI offense can lead to points being assessed by the DMV and your insurance company, these points are not the same thing.

Driver’s license points are added by the DMV when you are convicted of a traffic offense. Points usually remain on a driver’s record for a set period of time before falling off. If a driver accumulates enough points (12 points), however, their driver’s license could be suspended or revoked, depending on the driver’s situation.

Insurance points work differently, however. These points are assessed by an insurance company and indicate the driver’s level of risk. Whenever a driver gets a ticket or is involved in an accident, points are assessed against the driver that can significantly raise a driver’s insurance rates, depending on an insurer’s specific point system.

Although a driver will never have their license suspended because they have a large number of insurance points on their record, insurers may deny a driver renewed or new coverage as a result. Since North Carolina requires all drivers to carry liability insurance, being denied coverage because of too many points can effectively cause you to lose your driving privileges.

How Much Can Insurance Points Affect My Rates?

Under the guidelines of the North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP), even a single insurance point assessed against you for a moving violation can result in a 30 percent increase in your rates. If you are charged with reckless driving, you may be assessed four points and see an 80 percent increase in your insurance rate. If you are convicted of a DWI, your rates could increase by a staggering 340 percent.

Protecting Your Rights, Future And Driving Privileges

If you’re worried about a criminal charge negatively affecting your insurance premiums, don’t hesitate to speak with our skilled criminal defense attorney today. We can put 19 years of defense experience in your corner that has, for previous clients, resulted in reduced or dismissed charges that have had minimal impact on their insurance premiums.

Equipped with a thorough understanding of the traffic code and penalty guidelines, attorney Jonathan D. Griffin can confidently provide you with the best outcome to keep your insurance premiums low and your driving privileges intact, even in cases with serious infractions. We place a high priority on personal service and will provide answers to all your questions and discuss your options.

Serving Drivers Throughout Iredell County

Helping our clients receive the best possible outcome for their situation is what we do best here at Griffin Law, PLLC. We do this through a combination of compassion for our clients and taking an aggressive approach to defending their rights and futures. If you have been charged with a traffic infraction or speeding ticket, we will do whatever we can within the scope of the law to keep your insurance premiums low and keep you driving.

If you would like to meet with our experienced criminal defense attorney during a free initial consultation, contact our Statesville office today by calling office or complete our online contact form.