New York Dui Dictionary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

You just got a letter that says you must pay an alcohol assessment fee before a class, interview, or treatment recommendation can move forward. That usually means a court,...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

assigned risk insurance pool

Can I still get car insurance if regular companies keep turning me down? Yes - an assigned risk insurance pool is a state-run system that places high-risk drivers with an...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

assumption of risk

Did they know what they were getting into? That is the basic question behind assumption of risk. It means a person knowingly and voluntarily accepted a danger that comes with...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

but-for causation

Would this injury have happened anyway if the other person had acted differently? That is the basic idea behind but-for causation. A person or business is a but-for cause of...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

comparative negligence

A rule that reduces damages by each side's share of fault. "Reduces damages" is the part people often get wrong. Being partly at fault does not automatically bar recovery. If...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

contributory negligence

Miss this idea, and you can walk into a claim thinking clear liability means full compensation - then get blindsided when your own conduct becomes the weapon used against you....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

court costs and surcharges

What am I actually paying besides the fine? Court costs and surcharges are the extra amounts added to a criminal or traffic case on top of any fine, restitution, or civil...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-28

DUI civil penalty

A DUI civil penalty is a money-based punishment imposed by the government or an administrative agency after impaired driving, separate from criminal penalties like jail,...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27

DUI fine schedule

This is the part that drains your bank account fast and can change how hard a prosecutor pushes your case. A DUI fine schedule is the set range of money penalties tied to a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-25

DUI insurance rate increase

You usually see it in a renewal notice, cancellation warning, underwriting letter, or a call from your carrier after a drunk-driving case: the premium is going up because a...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

duty of care

What did the other person or business actually have to do to keep people reasonably safe? That is the real question behind duty of care. It means a legal obligation to act with...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

foreseeable plaintiff

A foreseeable plaintiff is someone a reasonable person could expect might be harmed by certain conduct. "Foreseeable" means the injury was not a bizarre accident completely out...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

FR-44 filing requirement

The part that catches people off guard is that an FR-44 is not regular car insurance, and it is not the same as an SR-22. It is a state-required certificate filed by an insurer...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

high-risk auto insurance

Like a hard hat marked for extra inspection, this is car insurance for drivers an insurer sees as more likely to cause a loss. That label can follow a person after a DUI,...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

ignition interlock lease cost

Miss this charge when budgeting after a drunk-driving case, and a missed payment can turn into a suspended driving privilege, a probation violation, or a car you legally cannot...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

last clear chance

A rule from older negligence law that can let an injured person recover damages even if they were also careless, when the other party had the final fair opportunity to avoid...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-01

license reinstatement fees

You just got a letter that says your driving privileges can be restored only after certain fees are paid. Those charges are license reinstatement fees: money a driver must pay...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

mesothelioma

Not a general lung cancer, and not a disease only smokers get. Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer that forms in the mesothelium, the thin lining around organs such as...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

negligence

You may see it in a claim letter, police report, insurance denial, or a lawyer's explanation: one side is alleging that someone "failed to use reasonable care" and caused harm....

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

negligence per se

A person or business can be treated as negligent as a matter of law when they violate a safety statute designed to protect people from the kind of harm that actually happened....

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

non-owner SR-22 policy

A non-owner SR-22 policy is liability insurance for someone who drives but does not own a car, paired with an SR-22 filing that tells the state the driver has the required...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-24

premises liability

It can determine who pays medical bills, lost wages, and other damages after a fall, assault, or other injury on someone else's property. A strong premises liability claim can...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-03

proximate cause

Think of a line of falling dominoes: if one push sets off the next few pieces in a way that makes sense, the result is connected. But if something strange interrupts the chain,...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-30

pure comparative fault

A rule for dividing blame after an accident, pure comparative fault lets an injured person recover money even if they were partly - or mostly - at fault, but the payout is...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

res ipsa loquitur

Not a shortcut that automatically wins a case, and not a rule that lets someone sue just because an accident happened. Res ipsa loquitur is a negligence doctrine that allows a...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

respondeat superior

An employer can be held liable for an employee's wrongful act committed within the scope of the job. "Employer" can mean a business, agency, or other principal with the right...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-31

restitution order

Not a traffic fine, court surcharge, or private settlement, a restitution order is a criminal court directive requiring a defendant to repay a victim for actual financial loss...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-23

SR-22 filing requirement

A government-ordered insurance filing that proves a driver has at least the minimum required auto liability coverage after a serious traffic offense, license suspension, or...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-22

strict liability

You might see it in a demand letter, court papers, or a conversation with a lawyer as something like, "the defendant is strictly liable," meaning the injured person does not...

DICTIONARY 2026-04-02

superseding cause

Did something else happen after the first mistake that really caused the harm? A superseding cause is an unexpected, independent event that breaks the chain between an earlier...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-29

towing and impound fees

Insurers and defense lawyers often treat these charges like minor cleanup costs, or argue they were avoidable because the owner should have moved faster. That framing can hurt...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27

treatment program cost

This can hit your budget fast and, in some cases, change how a DWI case plays out. Beyond fines, towing, and higher insurance, the money spent on alcohol or substance abuse...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27

vehicle forfeiture

Can the government actually take your car after an arrest or conviction? Yes. Vehicle forfeiture is the legal process that lets the state or another government agency seize and...

DICTIONARY 2026-03-27