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Does gap insurance cover a DUI?

I made some pretty bad decisions recently, landing me with a DUI conviction and a car that I’m pretty sure will be declared a total loss. Will my gap insurance cover me for a DUI accident?

avatar
Pat Roache · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s a hard lesson to receive, but hopefully, this moment will dissuade you from ever mixing substance use and driving again. The legal consequences of a
DUI
are bad enough before throwing a totaled car in the mix, but as to whether or not your
gap insurance
will cover a DUI, that’s typically up to your insurance company and the law to decide.
Most
car insurance
policies include intentional conduct clauses that allow providers to deny coverage for your damages if you are found to have caused them intentionally. However, this can be a gray area when dealing with DUIs, since intention tends to go out the door with substance use.
If you’re concerned about whether or not your gap insurance claim will be approved after a DUI, check the fine print of your policy. Most insurers will specifically write in a clause that denies coverage when driving under the influence is involved if they want to avoid that gray area we mentioned. Without this clause, you may be able to make a case for getting your gap insurance to cover the difference between your car’s actual cash value and the remaining balance on your
car loan
.
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