How Does a Guilty Plea in Traffic Court Impact a Car Accident Injury Case?

An at-fault driver's guilty plea in traffic court is usually admissible in a civil case related to the accident because it is considered an admission of fault.

How Does a Traffic Ticket Outcome Affect a Personal Injury Case?

Many drivers who cause car accidents where people are injured receive a traffic ticket or citation related 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. This includes cases in 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.

This is considered to be an admission of a party (Hartigan v. Robertson, 87 Ill. App. 3d 732 (Ill. App. Ct. 1980); Cogdill v. Durham, 43 Ill. App. 3d 940 (Ill. App. Ct. 1976)).

In situations where a driver has pled 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 in the Legal Process Can Be Important

For most people, getting into a car crash is an unexpected and traumatic event. Sometimes, dealing with the immediate aftermath of an accident results in delayinghiring a lawyer until months after the event.

In some situations, the delay is irrelevant. In others, the delay in having legal 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 scheduled.

They can also tell you 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 LLC, we track every traffic court case related to our client’s accident and can advise you when and where you need to be present to testify.

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. You'll need legal advice after an auto accident and especially if there is an auto injury case.

We can help you along the way including with the police officer, other driver, traffic hearing, traffic citation, insurance company process, etc. You can get formal legal advice regarding personal injury cases if they plead guilty or are found guilty and given traffic tickets.

A traffic citation can impact a personal injury claim and auto accident or personal injury lawsuit. If the other driver defendant pleads guilty at a traffic hearing, contact us to set up an attorney client relationship.

We can schedule a free consultation about what pleading guilty means in a criminal trial, like traffic tickets or a traffic citation. Then, we can review its effect on a personal injury claim and personal injury lawsuit like an automobile accident case.

What Should I Do After a Motor Vehicle Collision?

Negative traffic ticket impact substantially changes your ability to recover in a future personal injury claim for injuries sustained in the wreck. Left unchanged, many victims have been unable at all to recover or had their compensation drastically slashed.

To protect your rights in a future civil lawsuit like a personal injury case, take these steps:

• See a doctor.
• Itemize your losses.
• Memorialize what happened.
• Hire a lawyer.
• Avoid the at-fault motorist or their representatives.

Talk to our team of experienced auto accident attorneys about how you can best recover losses like lost income, medical bills, and damaged property. A ticket or trial verdict does not have to end your path to relief and recovery.

How Can I Use a Guilty Plea or Ticket at Trial?

Your goal in a civil case is to show the jury that the defendant was negligent or otherwise at fault for the crash. If the defendant pleads guilty in a criminal action for the same events, they have made the essential part of your personal injury case for you.

Basically, they've articulated they caused it. After that, all you need to demonstrate is that their fault also led to your injuries and damages and that no other third party was responsible.

In a free case evaluation with an attorney from our firm, we can discuss how you can use tickets and pleas in a car accident lawsuit to your advantage. They can be very helpful, and we can show you how.

Do You Have Questions About the Traffic Court Case Related to Your Accident?

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is committed to providing the best possible representation to individuals injured in car accidents in Illinois.

Do you have questions about a traffic court hearing or other matter related to your accident?

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your legal rights and obligations with you.

Contact our offices today to begin the process of getting the compensation you deserve. We can relate how the general rule of how a guilty plea at trial affects your claim.

If the other party or driver received a ticket, plea of guilt, or negative jury verdict, it could influence your claim and we can help. Get a free consultation today to find out how.

The information presented on this website is for informational and case validation purposes. Use our contact form if you get a ticket or the person that caused the car incident was given a ticket.