Erie County, New York is the proud home of Buffalo, along with many beautiful suburbs. Here at Weiss and Associates, PC, we understand that sometimes the people of Erie County don’t always follow the rules of the road, like when they are rushing to a Bills or Sabres game, traveling to and from work, or on a normal weekend drive. Our team of experienced traffic ticket attorneys can help you fight your ticket, no matter where in New York State it was issued. Whether Western New York, Upstate, or NYC, we are here to help!
Some common places where an Eric County traffic ticket may be returnable are Amherst Town, Court, Aurora Town Court, Buffalo City Court, Cheektowaga Town Court, Clarence Town Court, Depew Village Court, Tonawanda Town Court, and West Seneca Town Court.
Traffic tickets happen. Even if you don’t intend to drive unsafely, many drivers lose track of how fast they are driving or accidentally roll through a stop sign or an intersection. When that happens, call us. Our team of experienced traffic ticket attorneys is standing by to help you today.
Common Reasons to Hire a Traffic Ticket Attorney in Erie County and the Buffalo Area
There are many different types of traffic violations that people commit, some of them without knowing what rules they are infringing. We want to breakdown the most common infractions in Erie County and the potential consequences that they may bring.
You Received a Speeding Ticket In or Around the Buffalo Area
Many people drive their cars too fast. While everyone understands that they may get caught, a select (and unlucky) few of us actually are stopped by the police.
The amount that you will have to pay for your speeding ticket depends on how fast you were going. It can also depend on how many offenses you have committed over an 18-month period. Generally, court costs are a minimum of around $100 for violations, but they can be much more. Depending on how fast you were going, you may also see points added to your license. For more on how we can help fight speeding tickets, click here.
Fight a New York State License Suspension
Having your license suspended is usually way more than just a headache. It can mean that you have no way of getting around. And if you do try to get around, and you are caught driving with a suspended license, you may be facing a second-degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation charge, which can include a mandatory fine of up to $1000 and up to 180 days in jail.
As experienced traffic attorneys, we would highly recommend that you do not operate your vehicle while your license has been suspended. If your license has been suspended, let us know and we can help fight for you.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving means that you were driving with ‘wanton disregard’ for other driver’s safety. If your attention lapses and you accidentally drift into the wrong lane, it usually doesn’t lead to a reckless driving charge. If you are zooming down the wrong lane doing twenty over the speed limit while swerving, that would usually constitute reckless driving.
Reckless driving is a criminal offense (misdemeanor) and can result in jail time. Someone convicted of reckless driving will also pay a fine up to $300 for a first offense, with an additional surcharge on top of that. In addition, the DMV will assess 5 points against your driver’s license.
Disobey Traffic Control Device Tickets
When you disobey a traffic control device, you can be issued a 2-point traffic ticket. This offense is commonly issued for motorists who fail to obey a pavement marking, cone, or sign.
Stop Sign Tickets
When you see a stop sign, all four wheels need to stop. If you roll through it, you might see a fine of up to $243 and 3 points added to your driving record. While it might not seem like a big deal at the time, it can cause major headaches down the road.
Cell Phone & Texting While Driving Tickets
If a cop sees you while you are driving and you are using your cell phone, then you could be required to pay a fine of up to $200 (for a first offense). On top of this, you will see a surcharge. Finally, you may see a whopping 5 points added to your license.
We recommend that you keep your eyes on the road while you’re driving. The law allows for special provisions if it is an emergency, but as a whole, we recommend that you keep your phone in your pocket.
Points and Fines Associated With Buffalo and Erie County Traffic Tickets
Above, you are going to see a few mentions of fines and points. The fines are pretty straightforward. This is money that you need to pay to the government as restitution for the infraction. Not paying this might mean that you get your license suspended.
You are also going to see the word points a few times. Sadly, this is not related to the Bills running the ball into the endzone every Sunday. This has more to do with the state of New York trying to keep people with many infractions over a short time period off the road.
Every infraction has a certain number of points associated with it. More serious infractions (i.e. ones that could endanger the driver or others on the road) yield more points. If you get more than 11 points over an 18 month period, your license will be suspended.
Why Hire a Traffic Attorney in Erie County and the Buffalo Area?
Many people view traffic tickets as little more than an annoyance. Usually, they are annoying, but they can be a lot more than that.
Traffic tickets have fines attached to them. Everyone would rather spend that money on the things that they need and the things that they want, but unfortunately, when you’re caught you need to pay the fine. One of the best things about hiring a Buffalo traffic ticket lawyer is that your fine goes down.
As we explained above, there are also points that will go on your driver’s license. It is unlikely that any single offense is going to get your license suspended, but if you don’t fight your ticket and get the points reduced you might get a headache later on.
Finally, you need to consider that your insurance rates might go up if you do not fight your ticket. If you accept the fine, you might be paying for it for years and years. While it might be a simple $150 fine now, all that can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars over time.
Even if you did it and you know that you did it, you can still get your fine reduced and not have the highest number of points assessed onto your license. This can help you significantly, as you don’t need to worry as much about future cases. In addition, this could save you considerable money down the line.
Common Erie County Traffic Ticket Questions
How can a traffic lawyer help?
A traffic lawyer knows how the legal system works and is thus uniquely qualified to help win your case. Not many people know the ins and the outs of the court system, which means that you can leave it all to us.
Why should I hire your firm?
Our experience and success means that we are qualified to fight for you, and our values mean that you will always be informed of what is happening.
How do you communicate with your clients?
Typically though email, and we have a full staff available during business hours to answer any questions that you may have.
Why Let Weiss & Associates, PC Fight Your Traffic Ticket Case
We are ready to be at your side every step of the way. Our firm values making sure that you know what is happening with your case. Not everyone understands the complicated legalese that gets thrown around everywhere, which is why we try to uncomplicate things so that you are aware of what is going on.
Call us today. We can help!