Reader’s Question:

I have health insurance as well as car insurance for my vehicle here in Illinois. In case I get into an accident, how would I know which policy will give the best protection?

Lachlan

Cicero, IL

A lot of people purchase health insurance as well as auto insurance if you own an automobile. In case you get into an accident in Illinois, you have to know which of those policies will give you the kind of coverage you need. First of all, you have to be aware if you have “Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury” in your auto insurance policy and make sure you are familiar with what it does. This coverage would set a limit on the utmost cost of payment for every person, every injury and every accident. In case that the limit is not enough, your health insurance would surely give coverage for the outstanding costs.

In case you have “Personal Injury Protection” (PIP), this will cover for medical, hospital and funeral costs in any automobile collisions. In general, anyone who is involved in the accident will be covered, including other parties. This type of coverage is particularly intended for those drivers who don’t have health insurance. So if you have this coverage, you won’t need you health insurance in case of any accident. But since you also bought health insurance, you could get rid of the PIP coverage. Another reason to drop that coverage is that PIP is not required in the state of Illinois.

Tags: auto insurance policy, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My husband wishes to add another car to the coverage of our current auto insurance. How will that affect our premium payment here in Wheaton, Illinois?

Carmine

Wheaton, IL

Whenever you change the data of your current auto insurance policy, it will have an effect to your auto insurance rate. But you have to acquaint yourself and your husband about the guidelines of your insurance provider there in Wheaton, Illinois. Taking your case, adding up a car to your auto insurance policy affects your insurance premium payment depending on the, like what I said, guidelines of your insurer. Some insurers tend to decrease insurance premium payment for multiple cars in the auto insurance policy; while others tend to do otherwise.

Moreover, the model and the features of your new car to be added to your auto insurance are factors for the changes in the amount of your policy premium payment. Insured Sports Utility Vehicles or SUV have higher rates compared to other car models because SUV can be used for car race, thus, are more prone to damages and roadway accidents. The ability of the features of your car, on the other hand, may also give you a higher or lower rate. Car features such as air bag, anti-lock brakes and anti-theft devices, which decrease chances for serious damages, bodily injuries and theft, will give you lower insurance rates.

Tags: auto insurance, cheaper auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

I was often told that if I will be stopped for DUI here in Springfield, Illinois, I should not take any field sobriety tests because it will not be against the law if I to refuse to take it. If that is the case, why do police officers still ask a person suspected for DUI to do it instead of asking to take chemical test?

Caiden

Springfield, IL

Field Sobriety Tests (FST’s) are psychophysical tests used to evaluate an individual’s physical and/or mental impairment. FST’s focus on the skills that are needed for safe driving. Most of the FST’s known to be more ‘reliable’ psychophysical tests are known as “divided attention” tasks. This kind of FST would require an individual to concentrate on more than one task at the same time. A driver needs to drive safely a car by simultaneously control steering, breaking, and acceleration; react to constantly changing driving environment; and perform many other tasks.

Alcohol affects an individual’s ability to adequately divide attention, thus causing drivers to concentrate on more difficult tasks while ignoring simpler ones. Even when impaired, most of us can successfully concentrate on a single task fairly well, but most drivers could not successfully divide their attention between multiple tasks at once. What you have been told is right that if you will be stopped for DUI suspicion in Springfield, Illinois, you don’t necessarily have to submit to FST’s. The sole reason why police officers ask someone to take these tests is to create a probable cause for a DUI arrest and also to gather evidence that can be used in a DUI court case trial.

Tags: DUI, DUI arrest, DUI lawyer, field sobriety tests

At other times, when you are faced with the possibility of needing to hire a Springfield DUI attorney, the options may not be entirely clear. Still, in many cases it is best if you take the safest route and go ahead and hire a lawyer. When you have a doubt, better go out and get representation.

Reasons why you’re probably going to need a Springfield IL DUI attorney.

• while the consequences for a second DUI arrest are not quite as heavy as those for a third or a fourth or a fifth, they’re still a long stretch away from whatever consequences you suffered with your first one. If you’re on number two, you most likely need to call up a lawyer.
• if you had a baby in the backseat. When you have someone under 18 driving with you when you’re drunk, then you’re in trouble for endangerment of a minor on top of DUI, and so you’re likely going to need some more help.
• drunk is drunk, but sometimes the drunker you are, the heavier your sentence. If, when you were arrested, your BAC was two times the legal limit, you’re in even deeper waters.