For most people who get a traffic ticket, it’s little more than an annoying inconvenience. They curse their bad luck and pay the fine before moving on with their lives. Yet this can get more complicated if you already have a lot of traffic violations or other offenses on your record. What if you know for a fact that you didn’t do what you’re being accused of doing? Can you fight a traffic ticket as you would any other accusations?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. You can fight traffic tickets in court. If you want the best chance at being successful, it’s a good idea to find a traffic ticket lawyer that can help. Because they know the law inside and out, you’re more likely to get a lesser fine or even have the ticket dismissed altogether.
How Do Traffic Ticket Lawyers Work?
While some may also work as a traffic accident lawyer, most lawyers who deal in traffic tickets devote all of their time to them. Because the cases are not as involved as criminal law, they move through their caseload quickly. Sometimes, they literally see hundreds of cases every day. Maybe you’re wondering, how much does a traffic lawyer cost? It varies from one firm to the next, but a lot of them offer a money-back guarantee if they don’t get the ticket removed from your record or the fine reduced.
How do lawyers dismiss traffic tickets? They know the technicalities behind traffic tickets. Every traffic violation has specific criteria that must be met. If something is missing, the ticket isn’t valid, and it gets dismissed. If the ticket was issued correctly, there’s a chance that a skilled lawyer can get the fine reduced or avoid points issued to the client’s driver’s license by plea bargaining.
Can You Fight a Traffic Ticket?
You might be wondering; how can I find traffic accident lawyers near me? Is it worth it? Most of the time, the answer is yes. Most people don’t realize that most traffic tickets are negotiable. No one advertises that, and the truth is that most people just pay their ticket without giving it a second thought.
While you might pay the fine to save yourself the time of having to go to traffic court, there is a big downside to accepting the ticket at face value. Signing and paying the ticket is an admission of guilt and counts against your record. This can have some long term consequences. Your car insurance rates can skyrocket, and you may even face the loss of your driver’s license if you have other violations on your driving record.
A lot of local governments depend on traffic ticket revenue. Some even use cameras at traffic lights to automatically catch people running red lights and to send them a ticket. As a result, more and more tickets are being given out every year. It’s an easy way for small governments to generate revenue. Plus, not many people are likely to complain about a rise in fines for traffic violations because no one believes it will actually affect them.
Do I Need a Traffic Lawyer?
Whether you’re looking for a traffic ticket lawyer in Houston, Boise, or Pittsburgh, there are plenty of them out there to help you. It’s always better to have a skilled, experienced attorney on your side than to go to traffic court alone.
There’s no guarantee that a traffic lawyer will be able to get you a different outcome, but you have a much better chance than going to court alone. Here are some reasons why hiring a traffic lawyer is a good idea.
- They know the law better than you. Most people think that traffic law is pretty straightforward, but that’s not always the case. Traffic lawyers have in-depth knowledge of the law and know what to look for to make sure that any tickets were issued legally.
- If your ticket isn’t dismissed, you may at least pay a lower fine. This is the main reason why it’s always a good idea to go to traffic court. If you have multiple offenses, some traffic tickets can cost a lot of money and really hurt your bank account. A lawyer can contest the fine or get the ticket dismissed altogether.
- You may need evidence for court that you don’t have access to. If you’re accused of running a red light or ignoring a stop sign and you’re adamant that you never did, a recording from a traffic camera could clear you. The problem is you might not even know that the footage exists. A traffic lawyer not only knows where traffic cameras are set up but will also be able to get the footage pretty easily.
- A traffic lawyer can negotiate a different punishment. If the court is unwilling to lower your fine or dismiss your ticket, a lawyer can often negotiate something for you to get you a better deal. One common trade-off is agreeing to go to traffic court for a lesser fine.
How Can I Find a Traffic Ticket Lawyer Near Me?
Believe it or not, traffic tickets fall under the purview of criminal law. So, a criminal defense attorney is the type of attorney you need to seek.
That being said, a seasoned criminal defense attorney will seldom take a simple traffic violation case. Quite frankly, lawyers don’t make a lot of money fighting traffic tickets, but ambitious, young criminal defense lawyers will generally take these types of cases.
You can find a list of traffic ticket lawyers in our lawyer directory.
Most cases are pretty straightforward. If you do have a more complicated case and an extensive driving record, spend a little more time talking to different lawyers until you find one that you’re comfortable with.
If you’re thinking about fighting a ticket for a traffic violation, it’s always worth the risk. Whether there was a technical problem with the process, or the issuing officer doesn’t show up in court, there’s always a chance that your fine or punishment will be lowered. At the same time, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get a more severe punishment, so why not try?