The driver I was involved in an accident with pleaded guilty in traffic court. What does that mean?

Many drivers who cause accidents where people are injured receive a ticket or citation relating to their conduct. A traffic ticket is usually addressed in traffic court where the matter is heard by a judge. Because a traffic court is considered a quasi-criminal tribunal and there are different standards for evidence, the outcome of a traffic court case is usually inadmissible in a civil court where automobile accident lawsuits involving personal injuries are filed.

However, if a person ‘pleads guilty’ in a traffic case, such evidence is almost universally admissible in a civil case because it is considered to be an admission of a party. See Hartigan v. Robertson (1980), 87 Ill. App. 3d 732, 409 N.E.2d 366; Cogdill v. Durham (1976), 43 Ill. App. 3d 940, 358 N.E.2d 6; Galvan v. Torres (1956), 8 Ill. App. 2d 227, 131 N.E.2d 367. In situations where a driver has pleaded guilty to a traffic violation, a certified copy of the plea may be ordered and used as evidence in the personal injury matter.

Why Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney Early-On in the Legal Process Can be Important

For most people, getting into a car crash is a complete shock and can never be predicted. Sometimes this means delaying in hiring a lawyer to represent them until months after a crash. In some situations, the delay is irrelevant. In other situations, the delay in having representation early on can prejudice your rights for recovery down the road.

One of the reasons you should have an attorney representing your interests in the injury context is that they can tell you when and where any ancillary traffic court case is and if you need to be present for the case. In the majority of car accident cases when a driver is ticketed, the case may be continued numerous times before it is heard before a judge. These continuances can be frustrating and difficult to keep track of. At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers we track every traffic court case related to our client’s accident and can advise you when and where you need to be present. In many situations, we will have one of our attorneys at the traffic court date to help you as well as a court reporter to document the testimony of the defendant-driver and any witnesses.