Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in Nevada refers to operating a motor vehicle when impaired by alcohol or drugs. A DUI arrest sets off a series of judicial and administrative consequences that can linger for years. You can expect to deal with issues on three fronts: the Department of Motor Vehicles, your auto insurance, and the local criminal court. If someone suspected of DUI is involved in a car accident, then Nevada personal injury could become a fourth issue for a person to contend with.

Impact on DMV Record
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles takes administrative actions after you are arrested on suspicion of DUI, and this is a separate matter from judicial actions related to your arrest.

As a result of a DUI arrest, the DMV revokes your driver’s license. Under certain circumstances, you may appeal this revocation. If the criminal case against you moves forward, you will eventually seek a license reinstatement. This process involves paying various fees, testing, and acquiring auto insurance. If your criminal case resolves without a DUI conviction, you will still need to go through the reinstatement process. Otherwise, the status of your license at the DMV will remain revoked and prevent you from getting licensed in any state.

Your full driving record at the DMV will show that you experienced a license revocation for the rest of your life. However, this does not mean that the agency actively reports the revocation to insurers and employers in perpetuity. As long as you get your license reinstated, the DMV will stop reporting the revocation. A car accident lawyer in Nevada could help you complete the steps to get your license back.

Convictions for traffic accidents and DUIs remain on your DMV driving record for life. The DMV will actively report this information after inquiries from insurance companies and employers for three years. Should you move to a different state, the agency issuing licenses can readily access information about your conviction for ten years.

Impact on Judicial Proceedings

If your DUI is charged as a misdemeanor, you could have the opportunity to get that conviction record sealed after seven years. Successfully sealing that criminal record would clean up your record, which could be worth doing. When charging you for a new DUI arrest, criminal courts look back at ten years of your driving record, and a previous DUI increases your risk of being charged as a felon.

A person involved in a car accident at the time of the DUI arrest is likely to have the offense charged as a felony DUI. If a felony DUI conviction lands on your driving record, any subsequent impaired driving arrests that you may experience will be charged as a felony due to being repeat offenses even if you did not have a crash.

The risk of current and future felonies makes the need for legal representation urgent if you crashed your vehicle and were arrested for DUI. Support from an injury lawyer in Nevada could aid your case because you are in need of more than a criminal defense. You must also do what you can to avoid liability, if at all feasible, after the accident.

Impact on Insurance Rates
Once you regain your license, your auto insurance rates will be elevated for up to a decade. You may get relief after three to five years because some insurance companies only look that far back on your driving record.

Insurance premiums jump by over 70% in Nevada after a DUI conviction.

Your auto insurer will detect your DUI arrest within months of your arrest. Insurers check their customers’ driving records every time they renew their policies. Your insurer may drop you, and your remaining choice for insurance will then be high-risk policies that cost more.

The Intersection of DUI and Nevada Personal Injury

A portion of DUI arrests occur because the drivers got into accidents. Crashes often produce injuries, and the injured people will be looking to recover damages from the person at fault for the crash.

Victims of DUI
An injury lawyer in Nevada representing someone hurt in a wreck by an impaired driver will use the evidence from the criminal arrest to argue negligence because intoxication is illegal for drivers. An accident investigation conducted by a law firm may also collect additional evidence that strengthens your legal position and maximizes your settlement.

Even if driver intoxication makes your accident claim appear clear-cut, a car accident lawyer in Nevada can protect you from attempts to reduce your settlement. Even when liability is clear, insurers will always hang onto their dollars tightly. Legal representation gives you access to an experienced negotiator who can hold insurers to their contractual obligations.

Defense for Drivers Accused of DUI

As mentioned, a motor vehicle crash complicates your DUI case. Prosecutors will want to charge you as a felon, and your insurance could limit payouts only to other people hurt in the crash, even if you had coverage for your injuries.

In the face of these pressures, a car accident lawyer in Nevada can evaluate all aspects of your case. A strong defense could limit criminal penalties and help you get fair treatment from your insurer. You may be able to get your license reinstated faster.

The skills that we have honed while interacting with tough opponents in accident cases also serve people accused of DUI. Although your DUI may never entirely go away, it will eventually fade into the past after seven to 10 years and cease to affect your insurance rates.

Car Accident Lawyer in Nevada
At Moss Berg Injury Lawyers, we work exclusively in the world of accidents, whether or not they involve criminal charges. We fight tenaciously to recover the largest financial settlements supportable by the facts and insurance policy coverage limits.

We know how high the stakes are for people hurt in a crash with an impaired driver or if they are accused of felony DUI. Someone arrested for DUI may also be an injury victim and need access to insurance coverage.

To meet with an injury lawyer in Nevada capable of sorting through these complexities, contact our office for a free consultation today.