Should I fight a ticket for “Failure to Yield from a Private Drive” that resulted in a car accident?
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Should I fight a ticket for “Failure to Yield from a Private Drive” that resulted in a car accident?
Exiting my apartment complex, 3 lanes of westbound traffic on the road had stopped to allow me to cross. I had cleared the westbound lanes and entered into the median when a woman speeding down the median hit me (she had entered the median from across the street and was unable to enter the westbound lanes as the cars were backed up – obviously, she had seen the gap presented by the cars that had stopped to allow me to cross and was speeding down the center median in an attempt to reach that gap). The officer cited both of us at fault as I had been exiting a private drive. Fight?
Asked on August 1, 2011 Arizona
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
If you believe that you were not at fault for the automobile accident that resulted between you and the other driver, you should show up in court and contest the ticket and see what the outcome is.
Since your insurance premiums will most likely increase as a result of the accident if you do not contest the accident, there is additional incentive for you to show up and fight this ticket. The benefit of contesting the ticket in person as opposed to simply paying the ticket is that the citing officer may not show up and the citation and ticket will be dismissed.
If that happens, then you can argue with your insurance carrier that you were not found in violation of the citation. If the other driver simply pays the ticket and your ticket is dismissed, your position with your insurance carrier that you were not at fault for the accident and your insurance premiums should not be increased is strengthened.
Good luck.
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