Why You Should Hire a Traffic Ticket Attorney in Morganton

by | Feb 23, 2020 | Traffic Offenses

One of the many reasons to hire an attorney for dealing with a traffic infraction is that license points in North Carolina will, with few exceptions, cause an increase in your insurance rates. Hiring an attorney to reduce the charges can greatly alleviate the pain to the pocketbook in the long run. So how much can a person save by hiring an attorney. Some quick math the ticket can be anywhere from $30-$250 that number does not include court costs and fees which usually amount to $180. Those numbers put the ticket price at a minimum of $230. That fee however is deceptive and only the tip of the iceberg regarding costs because insurance rates will increase, depending on listed citation speed, anywhere between 30%-80% for up to three years depending on the citation*. Thus the average cost of a speeding ticket in North Carolina once insurance increases are factored in is roughly $1600. So why hire an attorney? An attorney can usually help you by one of several ways depending on facts and circumstances:

  1. Getting the citation reduced to a non-moving violation such as an improper equipment charge. Non-moving violations mean no points are added to the license thus there is no increase in insurance premiums.
  2. Getting the citation reduced to either a lesser citation with fewer points which saves money on insurance.
  3. In extraordinary cases where nothing else can be done the attorney can request that a judge grant the client at his discretion a prayer for judgment continued (PJC) be applied to a case. A PJC will not increase insurance premiums; however they can only be used in a household once every three years and therefore should be used with extreme caution.
  4. Not having to miss a work day; provided the citation is an infraction and not a misdemeanor you can generally sign a waiver for your attorney to handle the matter without your presence being required. 

Contact us for more information about traffic court in North Carolina.

*The data is from the NC Dept. of Insurance showing how high insurance rates increase depending on citations.