If you are cited in Massachusetts, you need to make the decision to appeal within 20 days of receiving the citation.  How do you decide what the best decision is?

Massachusetts tends to take driving violations seriously.  A ticket impacts your driving history, your insurance premiums and your right to operate a vehicle.  Paying the citation is not usually the best decision.

In Massachusetts, it is up to the insurance companies to decide on a first ticket whether to raise your premiums.  While some will give you a break on a first ticket, many do not.  It is a case by case decision with the underwriter whether to increase your premiums.  Fighting the ticket and trying for a dismissal is the best approach to keep your insurance rates low.

In Massachusetts, your driving history is composed of every violation from the time you get your license forward.  There are 2 types of records: an unattested record and an attested record.  With the unattested record, only violations from the last 10 years show, and only ones that were paid, or not dismissed by the court.  If you are successful in winning a violation, it does not appear on you unattested record.  This may be beneficial for jobs that run your driving history.  For the attested history, it shows every violation received, whether or not it was dismissed.  This is used by courts, police, and others that need an official record. When looking at this record, it is much better to have "not responsible" listed on violations rather than responsible.

Massachusetts has many suspensions that depend on how many violations a person received.  For Junior Operators, 1 speeding ticket results in a suspension.  For adults, 3 speeding tickets, 3 moving violations (including accidents), 7 moving violations or more can all result in various types of suspensions.  The best way to prevent a suspension is to appeal all tickets so that they do not go against your record.

It is always best to consult an attorney prior to fighting the tickets.  Attorneys have experience dealing with the court and know the best strategies to get the tickets dismissed.  If you are looking for a consultation, contact Broadbent Law at (508) 438-1198