Waldorf, MD Auto Accidents: Do I Still Have a Personal Injury Case if I Got a Traffic Ticket After the Accident?
The fact that you received a traffic ticket after a Charles County, Maryland, auto accident may make it more difficult to win your case, but not always. If you have been injured, and the other driver was “at fault” for the accident, then you have the right to file an insurance claim and file a personal injury lawsuit.
The traffic ticket is problematic because it represents an assessment by the responding law enforcement official that you, in some manner, violated one or more traffic laws. But that assessment — the traffic ticket — is not generally allowed to be evidence in a court of law and is not the final verdict on the question of who is “at fault” for the accident. If you have been injured in a car accident in Charles County or other parts of Southern Maryland, call for a consultation. At the Law Office of Robert Castro, we represent injured car accident victims, and we can evaluate the impact of your traffic ticket on your case. Our number is (301) 870-1200. We have offices here in Waldorf, Maryland, and provide personal injury legal services for La Plata, Clinton, Bowie, Greenbelt, Landover and other communities in Southern Maryland.
The traffic ticket issued to you is also problematic if you end up pleading guilty to the charges listed on the traffic ticket. Many people “plead guilty” to a traffic ticket because it is convenient to simply send in the fine and avoid appearing in court. But you should NOT do that if there is a potential personal injury claim. If that happens, then the guilty plea can be admitted into evidence at your personal injury trial. At the Law Office of Robert Castro, we also represent clients in criminal matters. So, contact us for a consultation on how to best handle the resolution of the traffic ticket.
As noted, the traffic ticket is not the “final word” on who was at fault for the car accident and the resulting injuries. As just one example, the ticket might have been issued for some violation that was unrelated to the accident — such as receiving a ticket for not having insurance or having an expired vehicle registration. Those types of facts do not bear on how the accident happened, how the injuries occurred, and who is “at fault.” As such, the traffic ticket will not be very important to winning your personal injury claim.
On the other hand, if the traffic ticket is for a violation that might have led to or contributed to the accident, then the ticket will make winning your case much more difficult (and, maybe, impossible). Examples include receiving a ticket for speeding or running a red light.
Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today
This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD, 20601.
