How a Traffic Ticket Affects Your Personal Injury Claim

Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers is proud to serve Boston and communities throughout Massachusetts with dedicated legal advocacy for accident victims. After a car crash, one of the first questions drivers often ask is: what happens if I got a traffic ticket?

A citation may feel like proof of fault, but in reality, the relationship between traffic tickets and personal injury claims in Massachusetts is more complicated. Understanding how a ticket impacts your case is essential for protecting your rights.

The Role of Traffic Tickets in Massachusetts

A traffic ticket (civil citation) is an enforcement tool used by police officers when they believe a driver violated a traffic law. Common citations issued after accidents include:

Running a red light or stop sign
Speeding
Following too closely
Failure to yield
Distracted driving violations

In some cases, tickets are issued to multiple drivers. This can influence how insurers and courts evaluate fault, but a ticket is not the final word on liability.

Are Traffic Tickets Admissible in Court?

Massachusetts law generally treats traffic tickets differently depending on the type of proceeding:

Criminal charges (such as OUI): Convictions can be admissible in related civil cases.
Civil traffic citations: Payment of the fine is not considered an admission of negligence in a personal injury claim.
Dismissed or contested tickets: If you fight the citation and it is dismissed, the ticket has little to no bearing on your case.

This means that while insurers may use a ticket against you during negotiations, it is not automatically admissible evidence in a personal injury trial.

Comparative Negligence in Massachusetts

Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means:

You can still recover damages if you are not more than 50% at fault.
Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility.

For example:

If you were hit at an intersection in Dorchester, but you were also ticketed for speeding, a court may assign you partial fault.
If you are found 20% responsible, your total award is reduced by 20%.

Thus, a ticket may influence fault allocation, but it doesn’t bar recovery unless you were primarily to blame.

How Insurers Use Traffic Tickets

Insurance adjusters often rely on traffic tickets to argue fault. They may:

Deny your claim outright if you were cited.
Offer a reduced settlement based on the assumption you share responsibility.
Delay payment while waiting for the ticket to be resolved.

This is why legal representation is so important – to challenge unfair use of citations against you.

Cited after a crash? Call Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers in Boston today for your free consultation.

Building a Strong Claim Despite a Ticket

Even if you received a ticket, your case may still be strong. At Sweeney Merrigan, we work to build evidence that supports your claim, such as:

Police reports and officer testimony
Witness statements from bystanders
Traffic camera or dashcam footage
Accident reconstruction expert analysis
Medical documentation proving the extent of injuries

By showing the full picture, we can demonstrate that another party’s negligence was the primary cause of the accident.

Local Example: Tickets and Boston Municipal Court

If your ticket was issued within the city, you may contest it through Boston Municipal Court or other local district courts. While this process is separate from your personal injury claim, success in challenging the citation can help strengthen your civil case.

Our attorneys understand how Massachusetts courts handle these issues and use that knowledge to support injury claims for our clients.

Why Legal Representation Matters

Traffic tickets are only one piece of the puzzle after a crash. Insurers may try to use them as leverage to deny or minimize your claim, but they are not determinative of liability.

At Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers, we have decades of combined experience handling car accidents, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death claims across Massachusetts. We fight to ensure that one citation does not prevent you from obtaining full and fair compensation.

You don’t have to navigate this process alone. Let Sweeney Merrigan fight for your rights.

Taking the Next Step

If you were injured in an accident and received a traffic ticket, don’t assume your case is lost. With skilled representation, you may still recover damages for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.

No matter where your accident occurred, whether on Storrow Drive, the Mass Pike, or a neighborhood street in Cambridge or Brookline, our attorneys are here to help. Call Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers today for your free consultation and take your next step toward recovery.