The obvious answer to what to do when you can’t afford a speeding ticket is, don’t speed. However, most drivers asking this question probably already have a speeding ticket.
When you can’t afford a speeding ticket, either because the additional negligent operator treatment system (NOTS) points will put you over the maximum allowed before suspension, you have a teen on your insurance and already pay too much, or you literally can’t afford to pay the increased insurance premium and fine, you must consult with a traffic attorney.
I can’t afford a ticket. How can I afford a traffic attorney?
Many, like Bigger & Harman, APC, offer a free initial consultation, so it won’t cost you anything to determine if hiring them is right for you.
The Truth About Traffic Attorney Affordability
The truth is that many traffic attorneys are much cheaper than you would expect. They work on a flat fee so that you will know how much it will cost compared to the fine and increased auto insurance—not to mention the inconvenience of a six-month driver’s license suspension.
Consider this, although Fresno is cheaper than many of the larger cities in CA:
“The average cost of car insurance in Fresno comes in at $719 for minimum coverage and $2,006 for full coverage plans, according to Bankrate’s 2022 study of quoted annual premiums.”
It’s almost unconscionable to drive with the minimum coverage under CA law. The minimum in CA is 15/30/5 or “$15,000 for injury/death to one person. $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person. $5,000 for damage to property.”
Unless you own nothing and live from paycheck to paycheck, there is no way $15,000 will cover the hospital stay, and $5,000 for property damage is nothing. Most new vehicles cost $50,000 to $70,000.
When you carry the minimum coverage and have an accident, you must pay the expenses your auto insurance won’t cover, leaving you open to an expensive civil lawsuit.
Therefore, that full coverage policy makes sense. However, when you lose your “good driver’s discount” of 20% for a speeding conviction, your insurance company will add the additional risk for speeding. If it was one to fifteen mph over, it might only be 11 or 12% more.
That 32% increase will amount to $641.92 per year for three years. A minor infraction like speeding will stay on your motor vehicle driving record (MVR) for three years. The total cost of your auto insurance increase after a conviction will be $1,925.76. Plus, the fine of about $237. Bringing your penalty over three years to $2,162.76.
Do you still think you can’t afford a traffic attorney? You should consult with the Bakersfield traffic attorneys at Bigger & Harman.
Ask Bigger & Harman, APC, about Your Speeding Ticket in Fresno
Call Bigger & Harman at (661) 349-9300, email attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com, or use the online contact form to set up a consultation.
During the past ten years, we have been asked to defend more than 20,000 drivers in CA traffic courts. Many of those have been in the Fresno County Courthouse. We offer you a free consultation to resolve your speeding ticket.
Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
References:
The 2021 CA Driver Handbook English y Español.
The Bankrate article, Best cheap car insurance in Fresno for 2022.