Another accident/demerit/insurance question

[LongCity]

So heres the situation, got into an accident about a month ago and there's a ticket that needs to be paid by Friday. Ticket was for an unsafe left turn. 4 demerits and $115 which isn't bad but the thing is my insurance is gonna be a bitch. I called a middleman and he said that he can lower the demerits to 2pts and remove the title that it was an accident which (I'm guessing) would mean my insurance wouldn't or shouldn't go up too much but the thing I'm curious about is how would he do that since I already went through insurance to pay for the repair costs.

[Masked Bandit]

Pay the ticket.

The demerit value means nothing to insurance. An "unsafe left turn" is classified as minor.

[LongCity]

... that unsafe left hand turn caused an accident. Are you sure it's minor?

[BlackArcher101]

Demerits mean squat for insurance costs these days. They look at convictions. Your insurance rate will be affected more by your claim than this ticket. I too had an unsafe left hand turn.

Your only hope really is to visit the CP and reduce the charge to about half. Only way you are going to get rid of it will be to plead not-guilty, see the judge and talk him into it. However, since you caused an accident, there would be no way it could be thrown out (unless the cop that wrote it doesn't show). To see what affects your insurance more, visit http://pointts.com/interest_insurance.html
At the bottom of this page, it shows some examples of minor vs major http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/tdinsurance/auto/glossary/c.jsp#major

[LongCity]

So there's really no point in going to this guy and paying him 125 to bring my demerits down to two?
Oh and thanks.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by LongCity
So there's really no point in going to this guy and paying him 125 to bring my demerits down to two?
Oh and thanks.

That's right.

[LongCity]

All right, thanks man.

[ca18det240sx]

As long as unsafe left turn doesnt fall in the domain of tickets that insurance can use. There are certain titles of tickets that insurance companys can use to raise your rates, and there are certain ones they arent allowed to touch. My gf just informed me that YES they can use an unsafe left turn to increase your rates,and she is an insurance broker...so i would get your demerits down and the title removed if he can do that. If he can change the title of the ticket to something that the insurance cant use...hes worth the money.

[LongCity]

Could I go before the date the ticket needs to be paid and try to get the demerits lowered or does it have to be on that date?

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by ca18det240sx
As long as unsafe left turn doesnt fall in the domain of tickets that insurance can use. There are certain titles of tickets that insurance companys can use to raise your rates, and there are certain ones they arent allowed to touch. My gf just informed me that YES they can use an unsafe left turn to increase your rates,and she is an insurance broker...so i would get your demerits down and the title removed if he can do that. If he can change the title of the ticket to something that the insurance cant use...hes worth the money.

And what does your girlfriend recommend he magically change this ticket into or at least try to? It's a minor conviction as it stands... My insurance companies and others I know of look at convictions alone and the severity (major vs minor) and don't give a hoot what the actual offense was. Your girlfriends company is certainly an oddity.

As I said previously, he can get his demerits down, but it will still be a minor conviction which results in the same affect to his insurance. There is no way he can make this a registered owner ticket.

[ca18det240sx]

Not a registered owner ticket, sometimes lawyers/traffic guys can talk to the crown and have you charged under something that isnt a minor offense falling in the realm that insurance companies can use. Actually, it depends on how many "minor" tickets you have before the companys do anything. ING for example will allow you to have up to 4 minor convictions before they start surcharging you. Other companys frown on even having 2 minor convictions, its all who you are with.Every insurance company has different rules for everything. And yah...my gf doesnt work for a company, she works for a brokerage, who sells for the companys. Most companys will not do DIRECT insurance, theres almost always the middle man, which is the brokerage.

[LongCity]

Originally posted by LongCity
Could I go before the date the ticket needs to be paid and try to get the demerits lowered or does it have to be on that date?

[ca18det240sx]

Well if you want to lower the demerits you need to go before or on the date so you can enter a not guilty plea. The date on the ticket means you either go and pay on or before that date, or enter a plea, then they will give you a court date.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by LongCity
... that unsafe left hand turn caused an accident. Are you sure it's minor?

Yep. I'm an insurance broker.

Don't bother paying someone to reduce the demerits. 4 vs. 2 makes no difference at all. Just pay the ticket.

The accident itself is going to hit you much worse than one minor conviction ever would.

[ca18det240sx]

Yah the only difference a few demerits would make, is if you were already approaching 15 demerits which would be a suspension imminent, so you would not want those to go on your license.

[EG_Civic]

i think insurance companys only look it up if your over 3 tickets

[ca18det240sx]

Depends which insurance company, and what THEIR rules are., and also depends when they pull the mvr on you to see what youve been up to (=

[LongCity]

Good stuff guys, thanks.

[InLoveWitRSX]

ps an unsafe left hand turn is 3 demerits

[LongCity]

Website says 2 but since it caused an accident I believe it became 4.