The impact of traffic violations on Florida car accident claims can be direct and substantial. When someone receives a traffic violation related to a collision (e.g., for reckless driving), there is often a direct link between the violation and the accident. A Florida car accident lawyer could argue that the cited driver is at fault for the collision.
The impact of a ticket on your Florida car accident case depends on several variables, such as the cited violation and whether the ticket contradicts other evidence. Whether you or another party received a ticket, you must make a compelling case for a fair financial outcome after the accident—the ticket alone will not determine your case’s outcome.
How Relevant Is Evidence of Negligence to Car Accident Claims?
Some factors that determine how impactful (or even admissible) a traffic violation is to a car accident claim include:
- Did the law enforcement officer witness the accident firsthand?
- Were there any procedural errors in the accident investigation, writing the ticket, or other elements of the legal process?
- The accuracy of the information included in the citation.
These variables make it difficult to project the degree to which traffic violations will affect claims in Florida.
Types of Traffic Violations That May Affect Your Florida Car Accident Claim
The Office of the State Courts Administrator (p.4) explains that state law classifies traffic violations as either:
- Civil traffic infractions
- Criminal traffic infractions
Both types can be relevant to a car accident claim, as both indicate that a motorist—in the opinion of the law enforcement official issuing the violation—has broken Florida law in some way.
Traffic infractions in Florida are often relevant to related car accident claims. Some specific infractions that might affect a car accident claim include:
- Careless driving
- Reckless driving
- Failure to yield right-of-way while turning
- Leaving an accident scene
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Driving too close to another vehicle
- Failure to use a designated lane
When a law enforcement officer issues a traffic violation, they generally detail the violation on the ticket itself. This context can be helpful, as terms like “careless driving” do not always provide enough detail to be useful to a car accident claim.
Whether a Traffic Violation Helps or Hurts Your Case, Consider Hiring a Lawyer
Traffic violations and insurance claims go hand in hand, as many collisions occur because someone violated Florida law. You may find yourself in one of three circumstances:
- You were involved in an accident, and the law enforcement officer deemed another driver involved in the accident responsible for a traffic violation (but did not write you a ticket)
- You were involved in an accident, and the law enforcement officer deemed you responsible for a traffic violation (but did not write the other driver a ticket)
- You were in an accident in which the officer issued you and another driver a traffic citation
No matter who received a citation, don’t assume the ticket alone will determine the outcome of your claim. Whether the issuance of a ticket appears favorable, unfavorable, or neutral to your case, consider hiring a Florida car accident attorney to fight for you.
Why Consider Hiring a Florida Car Accident Attorney After a Collision?
A traffic violation can affect liability for an accident. It is essential to consider whether you or someone else received a traffic violation related to a crash.
Let your attorney decide:
- How to use the traffic violation in your case’s favor if possible
- Whether to poke holes in the officer’s allegations
- How to build the strongest case possible, whether the violation works for or against your case
Traffic violations can also be relevant in other accident cases. For example, a Florida pedestrian accident lawyer could help if a driver hit you while you walked or jogged along a roadway.
How a Florida Car Accident Attorney May Build Your Case
A traffic citation is often relevant to cases like yours, but it’s not the end-all, be-all determining how your case will unfold. Your attorney might take other measures to build a successful case, including the following:
- Obtaining other relevant evidence, such as video, witness statements, and relevant photographs
- Working with experts, whose testimony and services may support or contradict the details of the traffic citation
- Securing proof of your losses, such as medical records and images, medical bills, invoices related to vehicle repairs and temporary transportation, and expert testimony about your pain and suffering
- Fighting for any compensation you deserve, using all options at their disposal to fight for complete financial recovery
Our Florida car accident lawyers are never overwhelmed by challenges, including traffic violations that work against our client’s cases.
Damages Your Lawyer Will Likely Include in Your Car Accident Case
When you hire an attorney, it’s reasonable to expect results. Your lawyer’s goal will be to ensure you don’t pay for accident-related damages out of your pocket.
Some of the damages you can expect your attorney to seek in your case include the following:
- All accident-related medical bills
- Pain and suffering, as well as the cost of any mental health treatment
- Lost income and other professional harm tied to your accident
- Vehicle repair costs, transportation expenses, and other accident-related property expenses
Disabilities and other unique considerations are also relevant to Florida car accident claims and could affect the value of your case.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato Today for Your Free Consultation About a Florida Car Accident Lawyer
Whether you or another party received a traffic violation, don’t make too much of that violation. Instead, consider hiring a Florida car accident lawyer to build a comprehensive case on your behalf.
Call the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today for your free consultation. We have secured more than $200 million for our clients, and we want to tell you more about how we may help you.
