Driving without car insurance

prettyXcool_2

Has anyone successfully appealed against driving without car insurance under "special reasons"? Did you go to court yourself or asked a solicitor to represent you? Thanks.

Quentin

You need proper legal advice if you are wrongly accused,

If you mean you have mitigating circs for driving uninsured, then again see a solicitor who can advise on how to present these.

prettyXcool_2

Thanks Quentin.

I found some useful information here about attending court for a driving offence: drivingban.co.uk

It seems you can attend the court hearing and represent yourself, but I was just wondering how successful that is, if anyone had any experience. To get legal representation can be quite costly.

opinions4u

You're on a hiding to nothing without a solicitor.

notanewuser

What possible mitigating circumstances could there be?!

Driving without insurance is an absolute offence as far as I know.

Quentin

notanewuser wrote: »

What possible mitigating circumstances could there be?!

Driving without insurance is an absolute offence as far as I know.

It is.

Doesn't mean you cannot put forward any mitigating circs. They will affect the sentencing decision.

Eg. A matter of life or death

Quentin

prettyXcool wrote: »

Thanks Quentin.

I found some useful information here about attending court for a driving offence: drivingban.co.uk

It seems you can attend the court hearing and represent yourself, but I was just wondering how successful that is, if anyone had any experience. To get legal representation can be quite costly.

You don't have to have a solicitor in court.

But if you are wrongly accused and want to plead not guilty then it will be money well spent, as the penalty plus ongoing extra cost of insurance with this on your record will be very costly!

If you just want to plead guilty and ask for your mitigating circs to be taken into account, then no need to be represented in court, but a solicitor would advise you on the best way to present them.

prettyXcool_2

Yes you are right, notanewuser.

I take driving without insurance very seriously, that is why I am extremely annoyed about this offence I am supposedly to have committed, but I do have special reasons, and when has the law changed to be guilty until proven innocent.

I have spoken to a solicitor and he says I have a very good case, but I was only asking if anyone had any experience of this or anything similar to help me make up my mind, whether to go with self representation or just pay up and have the endorsements on my licence therefore admitting guilt when I am innocent, as I just cannot afford the solicitor's costs.

Thank you Quentin.

Quentin

Speak to a broker about how much your future premiums are likely to be before pleading guilty if you are innocent.

You may find paying out to be properly represented a cost saving exercise.

prettyXcool_2

Quentin wrote: »

Speak to a broker about how much your future premiums are likely to be before pleading guilty.

You may find paying out to be properly represented a cost saving exercise.

Thanks Quentin, I was also thinking along these lines as well.

notanewuser

prettyXcool wrote: »

Yes you are right, notanewuser.

I take driving without insurance very seriously, that is why I am extremely annoyed about this offence I am supposedly to have committed, but I do have special reasons, and when has the law changed to be guilty until proven innocent.

I have spoken to a solicitor and he says I have a very good case, but I was only asking if anyone had any experience of this or anything similar to help me make up my mind, whether to go with self representation or just pay up and have the endorsements on my licence therefore admitting guilt when I am innocent, as I just cannot afford the solicitor's costs. Thank you.

That's the thing - it can't be "supposedly". Either you were insured or you weren't. If you didn't have insurance, for any reason (whether you did it knowingly or not) then you committed an offence. You can't get out of it, whatever the reason, but you may get fewer points or a lesser fine if it were a life and death situation.