When to Pay the Traffic Fine or Seek Legal Help

Of all the things you could spend your money on, traffic violation fines have to be the absolute worst. There’s nothing quite like the way that you kick yourself if you’ve been pulled over for speeding, and the feeling is even worse if you think that the charge is unwarranted. One way or another, once you’ve gotten a ticket, you have to figure out whether you should just pay the traffic fine — always the easiest answer — or seek legal help and fight the charge. The answer generally depends upon what the violation is and what its impact is going to be.

The first thing that you need to know before making a decision is how the traffic violation is going to affect you.

• Will it result in your license being suspended or in some other significant way affect your driving record? If, for example, you’re in a profession that requires you to have a clean driving record, could a guilty plea (which is what paying the fine is) impact your ability to get or keep your job?
• Will it cost more money than you can afford? Though some traffic violations carry insignificant fines, others can add up quickly, making it worthwhile to hire a traffic violation attorney whose fees will be substantially less.
• Will it raise your insurance rates significantly? Some traffic violations get reported to insurance companies and others don’t. If your violation will end up adding significantly to your insurance bills – or even impact your ability to get insurance – that is a very good reason to have an attorney represent you and try to get the charges dropped or diminished.

If you decide to hire a traffic violations attorney, you will want to provide them with as much information about the incident as possible, especially regarding the circumstances at the time of the traffic violation. Anything that you can point out about obstructed views, traffic patterns, where the officer was situated at the time of your alleged violation or many other factors may provide your attorney with information that can help to fight the charges against you or get them reduced. Depending upon the incident, you may even want to get the names and contact information of witnesses who can speak on your behalf.

Traffic violations attorneys have extensive experience in fighting traffic violations, and their knowledge and expertise can prove extremely valuable when you’re facing significant impact from a traffic violation. To learn more, contact our office today to set up an appointment.