Visitor Question

Found not guilty at traffic hearing, but insurance co. still says I’m at fault?

Submitted By: Patrick (Redding, CA)

I was rear ended in an accident. The woman told the police I was in a fit of road rage and I stopped purposely, for no reason.

They believed her and gave me a citation for improper stopping. To make a long story short, I was found not guilty at the traffic hearing.

Prior to the citation hearing, the insurance companies decided I was at-fault for the majority of the collision (80%). Despite the court verdict, her insurer is still claiming I have the majority fault (liability). They will not negotiate or examine facts.

Now I have to sue the women. Do I have to establish all of the facts of the collision, including the woman’s misrepresentations, etc., to establish liability? Or simply state my innocence and point to the court verdict? Or both?

It seems to me I should simply point to the court verdict, and put the onus on the defendant to prove any contributory negligence on my part, right? What’s the best way for me to go about this? Thanks.

Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.

Answer

Dear Patrick,

You may be relying too much on the court verdict. It’s important to know how the court verdict was rendered. Many traffic cases are dismissed when the police officer fails to appear at court, or the defendant completes community service and the case is dismissed.

If that was what happened in your case, then you weren’t actually found “not guilty,” but instead your case was dismissed. If so, that result will not be very strong evidence. You can certainly sue the woman. You should know if you do so, you will likely be up against her insurance company’s attorney.

When a person buys car insurance they are also buying legal representation in the event they are sued after a car accident. Unless you are represented by an attorney, you will have a very difficult time, as you aren’t trained in offering predicates for the admission of evidence, cross examination, relevance, and more.

If you are going to sue her, you really need to retain your own attorney. While your court verdict can be used as evidence, it will likely not, in and of itself, be enough to prevail in your case. The judge will listen to all the evidence, and balance the relative importance of each piece of evidence. The judge will also consider the existence of contributory negligence.

In your case, you will have the burden of proof to show by a “preponderance of the evidence” the defendant should be found liable for your damages. In a civil case a defendant is not found “guilty” or “innocent,” but instead liable or not liable.

To prevail, you will have to offer your own testimony as to the facts of the accident. If you are going to represent yourself, you will need to know hearsay rules. If you aren’t familiar with these rules, the defendant’s attorney will likely frustrate you by interrupting you mid-sentence while objecting on the grounds of hearsay.

You should also know it is likely the insurance company’s attorney will file a cross-claim against you. In so doing, the attorney will likely ask that if he or she prevails in the case, you be held responsible for his or her attorney’s fees and court costs.

Learn more here: Determining Who's At Fault in a Car Accident

The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.

We wish you the best with your claim,

Published:

4 thoughts on “Found not guilty at traffic hearing, but insurance co. still says I’m at fault?

  1. Ivan says:

    Just wondering if you finally won the case? It’s an interesting situation and I hope you won the case!

  2. Anonym2 says:

    I hate when people don’t respond with what happened with their case because I am going through the same thing.

  3. Anonymous says:

    There was a complete trial for the improper stopping ticket with a district attorney. The Police and the woman who hit me showed up and testified. I was found not guilty.

    My case is too large for small claims ($15,000 in medical bills and rising), but not large enough to attract an attorney.

    Additionally, attorneys want auto carnage and gruesome accidents with pictures… a low speed (15 mph) impact and whiplash injuries are to much work to prove severe damages. With the complication of the traffic ticket and proving liability, they just are not interested.

    I have contacted over 10 law firms… no help. I will have to fight this case Pro Se. I have until 2/7/2015 to file. In the mean time, I am preparing to go to court and then on to appeal.

    I have read everything on this website that pertains to auto accidents and litigation. I have purchased a Jurisdictionary course, and have gone through the whole thing. I have read several books on how to win a PI case. I have also gone down to the local Law library and familiarized myself with the resources there.

    I have looked up over 25 motor vehicle personal injury cases filed in our local superior court, and know which two judges handle MV PI cases. I’m planning to go to their courts and watch the current cases.

    I am going to win. I deserve to win. I know the facts. All I need to know is the law and the procedures. I could use some help. Will you coach me?

    1. Lena says:

      Hello there,

      Is there any update to the above mentioned case? Did you win it? We got ourselves into the same situation and would like to know what to possibly expect.

      Thank you,

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