It Pays to Fight Your Traffic Tickets...and Here's Why

Posted Friday, October 29, 2021 by Andrew Charles Huff

Based upon information I have reviewed from courts, the Washington State Patrol has been extremely active this year in stopping drivers and issuing tickets in most all counties including King County. A sizeable chunk of the fines paid on these tickets go towards funding law enforcement agencies. In fact, the WSP received recognition from a national association applauding the agency for the revenue brought in this year from traffic tickets. So there is an additional incentive to stop and ticket motorists for speeding, lane travel violations and even having expired tabs on their vehicles.

I handle a great deal of tickets in Snohomish County and learned that Snohomish has the highest number of tickets issued per mile on state and federal highways. I also noticed that many other counties have picked up the frequency they process traffic tickets, primarily due to the potential revenue they bring in. So there is a clear incentive for jurisdictions to want law enforcement to issue more infractions. This means more drivers are being ticketed when maybe in the past they would have only received a warning.

I have spoken to many people who discussed retaining me to handle their infraction and many have stated something like “It’s my first ticket in a long time so should I just pay it?” Or many ask about simply deferring it for a year if they are eligible. My response is pretty much the same, and that is those are two options…but in the end it’s usually better to retain a traffic attorney and fight it. The main reason is this…we can usually keep that ticket off your record…either with a full dismissal or amendment to a non-moving violation that won’t affect your insurance. This way you can protect your insurance rates and keep your deferral option for the few times where you don’t have an option.

I receive referrals from several insurance companies and the agents I work with agree that just one ticket on your record will most likely lead to a rate increase come renewal time. The retainer attorney fees I charge to represent you will most likely pale in comparison to the amount you would end up paying in a rate increase to your premiums, so you most likely will save substantial money in the long run. Therefore, it is very important to fight to protect your driving record, and this includes even having one ticket showing.

If you have any questions about getting a ticket and what you should do about it, call me directly and I’m always happy to discuss.