Auto Insurance Hawaii

Reader’s Question:

Am I going to jail if I get caught driving without insurance in Hawaii for the third time? What penalties should I be expecting from this?

George

Honolulu, HI

Typically, driving without insurance in Hawaii results in heavy fines. For the first offense its $1000 fine up to $3000 for the 2nd offense and continuing to go up for any subsequent offense. Other penalties can include imprisonment and suspension of your driver’s license. If the last conviction was due to an accident then penalties are likely to be quite severe.

The mandatory amount of car insurance in Hawaii is $20,000/$40,000 bodily injury liability and $10,000 for property damage liability plus PIP of $10,000. If you do not have this auto insurance on your car you are required to surrender the license plates and registration certificate and will not be able to operate a vehicle.

To know what penalties you are likely to receive for your latest offense contact the number listed on your citation or even perhaps your local DMV office in Hawaii.

Car Insurance Law Honolulu Hawaii HI

Reader’s Question:

What is a comparative negligence law? Is that law implemented in all states such as here in Honolulu, Hawaii?

Andrew

Honolulu, HI

Hey Andrew, the comparative negligence law is most commonly referred to as the No Fault Law. In an accident, the fault is not always placed on one participant, meaning one party is not necessarily always held at fault for the incident that happened. Often, fault is distributed, in varying percentages, to the parties involved such that both have liabilities. The allocation of fault is normally identified after the insurance company and the claimant has negotiated. The scope of the comparative negligence law vary per state, that’s why you have to either consult an attorney there in Honolulu, Hawaii, or get a copy of state laws in order for you to better understand how this works.

However, you may find that in most states, there are two primary versions. There is what they call a “pure comparative negligence” in which a claimant can collect up to the amount of their damages less the percentage of the damage that was found to be their fault. There is also “modified comparative negligence” wherein a claimant is allowed to collect from the other party’s insurance company if he/she is determined to be at fault for a certain percentage. This type of law is more widely used than the first one.

 

Tags: car insurance law

Hawaii Car Insurance

Reader’s Question:

How long does a DUI remain on your driving record and increase your insurance rates in Hawaii? I got a DUI 7 years ago and my rates never went up.

Joey

Honolulu, HI

A DUI in Hawaii can also be termed as driving a car under the influence of an intoxicant (OVUII). Many OVUII HI arrests cause both the individual to have a criminal case in the district courts as well as a case against them in the Administrative Driver’s License Revocation Office (ADLRO). The ADLRO is a state agency that performs legal proceedings to determine whether the driving privileges of an individual arrested for DUI (OVUII) should be suspended or revoked.

The Hawaii DMV site does not list how long a DUI remains on your driving history but contact the Traffic Violations Bureau for driving record information. As for insurance providers usually they can go back 3, 5 or 7 years to check your MVR and rate your policy.

Some states may have limits on the amount of years an insurance providers can look back, so verify with the Department of Insurance for the state in which you are moving to check what their regulations are regarding this issue.