Q: Is a careless operation warranted for looking to my mirror for a lane change and a vehicle braking causing a collision
Coming to an intersection with a green light there were cars accelerating slowly so I decided to change to the right lane to pass, I glanced to the right side mirror ensuring is was safe to merge and started making the change. When I got my eyes back forward the vehicle in front of me was slamming on the brakes hard to an almost immediate stop, I was about half in the left and half in the right lane at that time. I also hit my brakes hard but could not get stopped or over fast enough so I ended up hitting the car in front of me sending me shooting across the lane into a parking lot, the car I hit was pushed into a van and another car. Later i learned there was a vehicle completely stopped, the driver on her phone with a green light is why everyone suddenly hit the brakes and it just so happened to be in the middle of my lane change causing me to hit. I was cited for careless operation for "taking my eyes of the road" when I looked in my mirror. Can I fight that in court?
A:
1) the passing lane is on the left, not the right,
2) notify your insurance company so that they can represent you in the personal injury case when you get sued...and you will be sued,
3) hire a traffic court lawyer to represent you on your ticket.
A: Yes, you can fight this in court, however if you do, I recommend that you hire a traffic ticket/criminal defense attorney to represent you in this matter and so that you know your options. Good luck.
A:
You can certainly dispute the citation. You should hire a lawyer and
try and get it dismissed or amended to a non-moving violation.
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