What happens if I received a summons for an auto accident but I don’t show up in court?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What happens if I received a summons for an auto accident but I don’t show up in court?
I had only heard the pre-accident speed of an unknown vehicle. I didn’t not actually witness the single car accident. What happens if I don’t show up; am I in contempt? I really don’t want to take the time to go just to offer no real information.
Asked on May 19, 2013 under Accident Law, Virginia
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
You may be able to offer your testimony in the way of a deposition with both parties present with a court reporter. You may be able to offer an affidavit of what you do know. If everything you have is hearsay, then you need to let the party for whom you would be testifying that you cannot attend court. You could be held in contempt but you need to address it before the court date. If this is a hardship for you to attend, you need to inform the party for whom you are advocating and see what can be done.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.