Driving Under the Influence

My brother-in-law was driving out the camp road, when he hit my husband’s car head on.  My husband was hurt and the car was pretty smashed, so they called the police to do the accident report.  My brother-in-law had had a few beers, and the police decided he was drunk.  That made it a DUI offense.  I’ve heard that the insurance company won’t pay bills if the accident is due to alcohol.  Will we have to pay for our car and the emergency room visit for my husband?

All In The Family in New Hampshire

Dear All In The Family in New Hampshire,

Sorry to say that New Hampshire does allow insurers to refuse claims when the accident is related to alcohol.  Your brother-in-law’s car insurer may or may not refuse the claim.  Even if his insurer does turn down the claim, your car insurance should step in.  Let the car insurance companies fight it out and see what happens.

For the sake of future family get-togethers, try to keep the process business-like.  Hopefully, you have many more holidays to share with your brother-in-law.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.