Q: Is it worth fighting a traffic citation that cost $144? And lawyer fees cost a lot more. And unlikely outcome?
I was the only person traveling on a two lane road. I looked down on my phone for no more than 2 seconds to look at an alert since no one was around. I looked up and a pickup truck was backing out of his driveway into a two lane road into my lane. I had no reaction time and slammed into the rear passenger side.
A: The Answer is, it depends. If it is a moving violation and you get points on your license there is a chance that your insurance increase. It may or may not but there is no way to know until it happens. Also, if you get points on your license and if you happen to get another ticket in the next year, those points add together and if you go over six points you now have some licensing issues with penndot where they might make you take the test again at a minimum or suspend your license at worst. Bottom line it’s always worth it to go to court. Paying for a lawyer now and either getting the citation dismissed or reduced to a 0 point nonmoving violation will pay off in the long run because you know your insurance will not go up. Also, If you have a lawyer, many judges will let your lawyer go to court for you to save you a trip to court. My suggestion would be a start calling experienced traffic attorneys and get a quote over the phone to see what it will cost. If you do plan on pleading not guilty please note that you must return your plea to the court within 10 days or risk license suspension. Good luck.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
