What impact do traffic citations have on the outcome of a lawsuit for personal injury?
Insurance companies give significant consideration to traffic citations. It is very rare for an insurance company to pay a settlement to a driver who has received a traffic citation. The reason is fairly clear; the police usually make the correct decision and give the ticket to the person who caused the accident. However, there are cases where the police make a mistake and give the ticket to the wrong person. Unfortunately, a case like this presents and uphill battle because the insurance company will be unwilling to admit fault and will almost certainly force the suit to trial rather than settle the case for a reasonable amount. Even though insurance companies generally side with the police officer’s determination, it is very rare for a jury to find out which parties were given traffic citations. Instead, it is the jury, rather than the police officer, who must determine which driver was at fault. The only time the jury will find out about the citation is if the person who receives th
