Can the court deny me from paying a ticket if the details of aninjury have not been finalized?
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Can the court deny me from paying a ticket if the details of aninjury have not been finalized?
I got into a fender bender ober 2 months ago. My car slid into a lady’s car on a rainy day and I swiped her. I got a ticket for improper lane usage. When I went to court last month, the judge wouldn’t allow me to plead guilty and pay the ticket because the details lady’s injury hadn’t been finalized. I was baffled. I did not think that the injury had anything to do with the ticket. I have another court date in about another 10 days. I called my insurance but the injury still isn’t finalized. What should I expect when I go to court?
Asked on December 5, 2011 under Accident Law, Illinois
Answers:
L.P., Member, Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your traffic ticket for improper lane change that caused an accident. Your ticket situation sounds pretty unique in that the judge is holding off with your sentence until after finding out what the injuries are to the other driver. You should know this is not the usual happenings of the court system for traffic violations. Sometimes a court hearing will be postponed if the officer requests an extension for a conflict in his schedule. The officer sometimes needs to appear to state to the court what happened during the traffic violation.
The laws for traffic violations can vary from state to state. Additionally, every judge will run their courtroom differently, and some judges hand down harder sentencing to teach a lesson to the person who violated the traffic laws. The judge may have some discretion to increase your charge or modify the penalties attached to your charge. He may be waiting to see the extent of her injuries to see what penalty he wants to give you. If the other driver is seriously injured, then he may hold you accountable for endangering the life of another. You see, there are some people who get tickets for improper lane change, but that does not always result with an auto accident and someone being injured.
The ticket has a different meaning when someone is injured during the traffic violation than if no other vehicles were involved. If you need assistance with you in court, you may want to contact an attorney in your area that handles criminal law and small claims.
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