I hit the car in parking lot -how to face court?

B

BHAGYASHRI R

New member
Yeasterday , I was in Mall and while taking reverse I hit the car. There were some scratches on the victims car and also on my car.. I was bit scared and just drived away from that place. I didn't know that I have to stay there as per law.
After 1& half hour police came to my house and i got 2 tickets as: careless driving and leaving the scene . They said they have witness.
I have to appear infront of court.

So what will be worse happen? how should I defent myself in court?
Will my incurance premium increase? Can my insurance company help me?
plz tell me
 
How would you feel if someone did that to you? It sound like you're remorseful, show the victim & the courts that. Offer to pay, out of pocket so as not to affect your insurance. Also, you might offer to do community service a few hours a week monitoring parking lots for people who illegally park in handicap spaces, fire zones, fender benders, etc. That's where you photograph an incident & write down the license plates & take to the manager for prosecuting. Wal-Marts all over the nation need this.
 
serves you right.

why are you running away anyways it's not like you have drugs on you or you killed some one. i car can be fixed.

you have to accept that its all your fault and you panicked. what is the point of protecting your self, your clearly in the wrong so the court will ultimately make you pay for the damages anyways.
 
Your insurance company should take care of the damage to the other car. Your premium may increase as a result; different companies had different rules.

You have no defense to the violations. There is generally no defensible excuse for leaving the scene without leaving your contact information on the other car.

However, if this is your first offense you may be treated more easily if you accept responsbility for your actions, explain that you were scared but realize that it is no excuse, and apologize. Let them know you have remorse and that you understand what you did wrong.

Dress neatly and act properly. You are basically at the mercy of the court. You will have fines and court costs to pay, but they might reduce them. The leaving the scene is the more serious of the two charges; hopefully they will dismiss that one and just keep the careless driving.

If you get to talk to the prosecutor first, ask them if they will consider deferred adjudication. This means you pay some fines and costs, but if you don't have another violation for 60-120 days (varies) nothing will appear on your driving record (the charges are "dismissed"). This will generally only work if you have a clean record and this is a first offense.

Good luck.
 
Your insurance WILL increase, that's pretty much a given when they find out(come on you got careless driving and leaving the scene, you're lucky it wasn't outright hit and run). I'd suggest getting a lawyer. Pleading ignorance ISN'T going to help. The Judge will just ask who has a license and doesn't know they have to wait at an accident scene, in the least leave their information for the victim.
 
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