Can a insurance company renew your car insurance policy knowing of aDUI offense and then cancel it
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Can a insurance company renew your car insurance policy knowing of aDUI offense and then cancel it
I did not receive a new insurance policy last month, so I had called them to see what was going on. Since my wife has a DUI they wanted to raise my rates which was understandable. Well since they had what they called “dropped the ball” on it, they didn’t raise my rates and renewed my policy at the last rate for 6 months until the new policy renews. A couple weeks later I get a cancellation notice because of my wife’s DUI. Can they legally do this?
Asked on January 12, 2012 under Insurance Law, Colorado
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Whether or not your insurance carrier can contractually cancel a policy of insurance that is in effect and paid to date due to knowledge of your wife's driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance conviction depends upon what the insurance policy states.
As such, you need to carefully read the written insurance policy that you are writing about in that its terms and conditions control the obligations owed to you by the carrier and vice versa in the absence of conflicting state law. If there is no provision in the policy for cancellation mid-term for the criminal conviction involving your wife, then the carrier must wait until the expiration of the policy term to not renew your insurance policy.
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