What If I Got A Ticket After The Accident?
Even if the police cited you for a traffic violation, THIS IS
USUALLY NOT ADMISSIBLE as evidence against you in a civil case! (By the
same token, if the other driver was cited, that may likewise be inadmissible to
prove that HE was at fault.)
Although you may have contributed to causing an accident, you can still
collect for your injuries if the facts show that the other driver was MORE at
fault than you were. This is known as "comparative negligence".
POLICE ACCIDENT REPORTS OFTEN FAIL TO IDENTIFY ALL THE
WITNESSES WHO WERE AT THE SCENE. So if there is a dispute as to who caused
a collision, it's vitally important for you, or someone on your
behalf, to launch an investigation as soon afterward as possible, before
memories fade. Finding an independent witness who saw or heard something that
supports your claim can make the difference between winning and losing.