If you were recently involved in a car accident, financial worries may be at the forefront of your mind. However, you may also be worried about what will happen if you are ticketed.
Will your driving record be affected by the accident? Will you still receive a traffic ticket if someone else is at fault? Your Oklahoma car accident attorney at BDIW Law can get you individualized answers.
However, if you are not responsible for causing the accident, in most cases, you should be able to avoid any type of ticket or financial liability. Here is more about what you can expect in terms of traffic tickets after a car accident, the steps you can take to avoid a citation, and how to hold the liable party accountable.
Common Traffic Violations
Failing to follow traffic laws is one of the biggest causes of car accidents. When someone is careless and fails to pay attention to traffic laws, you may be the one who suffers for it.
Unfortunately, these accidents can be difficult to avoid if the other party is breaking the law and caused the accident. Unfortunately, they may also try to claim that you were breaking the law as well.
Worried about getting a ticket following a car accident? Below are a few common traffic violations that are often ticketed in situations like these:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Running a traffic light or stop sign
- Inappropriate passing
- Following too closely
If you or the at-fault party who caused your car accident were accused of engaging in any of these actions, the police officer on the scene may choose to issue a ticket.
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SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY TODAYLiability After a Car Accident
When you are involved in a car accident, proving liability is one of the first steps you need to take to protect your case and begin the process of finding a lawsuit. Determining liability can be a little easier if the other party is ticketed.
That is because a traffic ticket is evidence of a traffic violation caused by the other party. If they fail to drive safely and carefully, and you are the one who suffers for it, that traffic ticket can be evidence that supports your case in the courtroom.
However, liability is not always that simple. For example, the other driver may not have been ticketed, they may have been on the clock when the accident happened, or the accident may not have been their fault. In these cases, a car accident attorney can be an invaluable asset who can help you identify the liable party and take action.
When You Might Be Ticketed
Unfortunately, you may also face a traffic ticket after your accident if the police officer or the at-fault party tries to pin the blame on you. A traffic ticket can lead to fines in addition to your other damages, like medical bills and lost wages, and these tickets can act as evidence against your claim.
Unfortunately, you may be ticketed if accused of being partly at fault. Accidents are rarely entirely one person’s fault, but accepting shared fault can hurt your case.
Violations of traffic laws like seat belt violations or lacking proof of insurance can also get you ticketed. However, these traffic tickets are not necessarily related to the accident. In these cases, your ticket may not bar you from getting the compensation you need.
Other Risks of Being at Fault for a Car Accident
Unfortunately, if you are accused of being at fault for a car accident, you may face much higher penalties than a traffic ticket alone. Accepting the blame for a car accident can put you at severe legal liability, impacting your ability to overcome your serious accident.
For example, if you accept accusations of fault after a car accident, you may be sued yourself. That can leave you or your insurance liable for the cost of the other party’s recovery.
It can also simply bar you from getting compensated for your injuries. That means you may be paying out of pocket for your recovery expenses and lacking compensation for the intangible pain and suffering you have experienced.
How to Protect Yourself Against Unjust Accusations of Shared Blame
Unfortunately, a traffic ticket may be used to show that you were partly at fault for the accident and to blame you when the at-fault party does not want to pay. This can be difficult to recover from since Oklahoma follows modified comparative negligence laws, but you do have options to protect yourself when you are unfairly accused of being partly at fault for your accident.
For example, one of the first steps you can take is to fight your traffic ticket. You do not have to pay it the moment you receive it. Instead, you can plead not guilty and fight your traffic ticket in court. While more time in court may not sound exciting, especially if you are seriously injured, it can help protect your personal injury lawsuit.
Once your traffic ticket has been cleared, you and your attorney can gather evidence against the at-fault party. You may look for evidence, like security footage that caught the crash, that shows they were the ones who caused the accident. Proving that another party caused your car accident can help you avoid accepting faults in these cases.
Meet with an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer for Help Today
You should not be ticketed unless you violated some type of traffic law that led to or contributed to the cause of your motor vehicle accident. Do not be surprised if the liable party blames you, however, as this is one of the top ways they will attempt to avoid culpability.
With help from an experienced car accident attorney at BDIW Law, you can protect your right to maximum compensation. Find out how much you could be awarded when you contact our office for a free, no-obligation consultation. You can reach us through our online contact form or by phone to get started as soon as today.
