Why Just Paying That Traffic Ticket After an Accident Could Be a Mistake

If you were issued a traffic citation stemming from a car accident in which you were also injured, you may be tempted to pay the ticket to save yourself some trouble. After all, between your recovery, your medical bills and making ends meet while you are out of work, you have quite a bit on your mind. What sense is there in fighting a traffic ticket, even if it was unjustly issued?

Most people do not think of a traffic ticket as a criminal offense. However, by pleading guilty you admit to the conduct for which the ticket was issued. That is why it is important to tell your lawyer about any citations you receive and seek his or her advice on how to handle them.

For instance:

• A woman is seriously injured in a car accident. The officer who responds determines the woman was speeding and issues a citation.
• The woman receives the citation and decides to pay it, not because she actually was speeding but because she does not want to be bothered.
• In her subsequent personal injury suit, the defense asserts that she was speeding and was therefore at fault for her own accident. When she denies this, she is confronted with the guilty plea in which she essentially stated on the record that she was speeding.

In this way, a normally minor traffic infraction can have a major impact on your personal injury case. Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia’s dedicated car accident lawyers serve clients in Long Island, Suffolk County and Nassau County, and can guide you every step of the way.