“How will this violation increase my car insurance premium?” is usually the first question people ask when they call my law office to ask me to help fight their traffic tickets.
My response: “If I get the ticket dismissed or reduced to a non-moving violation, your auto insurance rates should not go up.”
In the state of Louisiana, you are required to have car insurance if you own a Louisiana registered automobile. You can’t even register the car without the insurance. Louisiana has the highest car insurance premiums in the entire country. The average auto insurance premium in Louisiana was $2,699 in 2013, according to data from the Insurance Research Council. And, New Orleans was the third most expensive city to get car insurance in the country for 2012!
Why Are Auto Insurance Premiums So High in New Orleans and Louisiana?
Insurance companies blame Louisiana’s court system which awards plaintiffs more money than the national average in Motor Vehicle Accident cases. Well, now that you know how high insurance premiums are in Louisiana, it’s tough to swallow the fact that every time you get a traffic ticket in Louisiana, you are also driving your own car insurance premium up.
How high, you say?
As your experienced criminal defense attorney, I’ve been through the traffic ticket process numerous times handling cases from parking tickets to red-light camera tickets to moving violations that can revoke a driver’s license and have seen it range.
Getting a Traffic Ticket in New Orleans
If you’ve recently been pulled over for speeding in Louisiana, you must keep in mind the fact that there are many consequences. A speeding ticket may result in points on your driver’s license, fines, fees, court costs, and increased auto insurance premiums. Some tickets even require a suspension of your driver’s license.
The good news is that it is possible to get a speeding ticket reduced from a moving violation to a non-moving violation, which makes a difference with the court as well as your insurance company. With my criminal defense experience, I have also had plenty of speeding tickets dismissed on various occasions. As your New Orleans traffic attorney, I will effectively represent you and your case in court and aggressively fight to have your ticket reduced or dismissed.
Why It Is Important to Have Your Traffic Violation Reduced or Dismissed
To get an idea of how much a traffic ticket cost, visit the City of New Orleans Municipal Traffic Ticket website.
Now you can see, in addition to these prices, your insurance premiums will now go up if you do not have your violation reduced or dismissed. Depending on you traffic violation, even one single traffic ticket can boost the average insurance policyholder’s premium by up to 22%.
A reckless driving violation is the highest cause for concern followed by a DWI, driving without a license (or suspended license) and careless driving. Remember that this is the average and is not an actual number.
Fighting a Traffic Ticket in Orleans Parish
If you’ve recently been pulled over, received a red-light traffic ticket or multiple parking tickets in New Orleans, you will benefit from meeting with an experienced traffic ticket attorney. I offer a free consultation, you just have to call (504) 264-9492 or e-mail me here. I will fight for you to try to have your ticket(s) reduced or dismissed.
