When an officer issues a traffic ticket at the scene of an accident, that ticket could potentially have a significant role in an ensuing personal injury claim.
A ticket can be a clear indicator of fault, and proving fault is critical in personal injury cases. A person injured in an accident can point to a citation at the scene as an indicator that that driver was not obeying the rules of the road and thus was liable for the accident and resulting injury. It serves as concrete evidence of fault, which is crucial especially in cases that might otherwise lack evidence.
A person cited at an accident scene can still contest the ticket, and if successful, it could would no longer be possible to use that ticket against them in a civil claim. But that type of situation is not extremely common. Most of the time, you can expect tickets to weigh in in a major way in personal injury cases.
What if both drivers were ticketed?
If both drivers were ticketed in an accident, both will then likely be considered at least partially at fault, which could make matters a bit more challenging for a person filing a personal injury claim. It might become necessary to file the claim with your own insurance company rather than with the other driver’s.
To learn more about how traffic tickets could potentially affect the outcome of your personal injury claim and the damages you stand to recover, speak with a knowledgeable Bradenton personal injury attorney at Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh.