How To Fight Traffic Tickets, DUI, Auto Accidents In Bellingham

Most of the time, when you get into trouble on the road such as traffic tickets, DUI, or auto accidents in Bellingham, you should get yourself an attorney. However, is it worth it to spend so much money?

If you take a closer look, hiring an attorney has a number of benefits. In many cases, they actually justify the expense more than you think. On the other hand, if you have an employer or union membership plan, it can cover part of the costs. Hiring an attorney will become an even better option if you can work things out this way.

There are some factors you should consider before making the decision. Read on and find out about the rules of laws in Bellingham when it comes to auto accidents, DUI, and traffic tickets in Bellingham and understand why having an attorney in cases like this will greatly benefit your situation.

Auto accidents in Bellingham

In 2018, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission released a report about traffic fatalities in the state. The report said that the number of deaths caused by auto accidents increased by 5.4% in 2017. Accidents that involve DUI drivers also went up by 3.1% in 2017. As you can see, reckless driving is a disturbing trend and poses a dangerous risk to other motorists, passengers, and pedestrians alike.

Specifically, residents’ safety is greatly and significantly affected by auto accidents in Bellingham. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, Bellingham saw the following car accident trends during 2019.

• 1,346 car accidents occurred in Bellingham during 2019.
• 76 of these crashes resulted in minor injuries.
• 21 of these accidents resulted in serious injuries.
• 2 of these crashes involved a fatality.
• 261 of these crashes involved a possible injury.

All drivers must operate their vehicles with care and with adherence to the rules when we are on the road. And nobody is the exception. Sadly, not everyone follows the standards and causes serious accidents from time to time. There are cases of auto accidents in Bellingham that lead to injuries, and even deaths. In the aftermath of an auto accident, as either the victim or the cause, you are probably struggling to find a way to settle the case in front of the Bellingham Municipal Court. This is where we can help you.

Auto accidents actually account for the highest number of cases that you will need a personal injury attorney to handle in Bellingham. However, not all auto accident cases are the same. Some are more severe than others. From a minor traffic violation to a multi-vehicle collision, there are different consequences and approaches to settlement for every single type of auto accident in Bellingham. Even though it’s a relatively small city, Bellingham sees numerous cases of auto collisions on a daily basis.

Therefore, it’s important that you contact our team of knowledgeable and versatile lawyers who can provide you with solutions depending on the size of your case.

What to do when you get into auto accidents in Bellingham?

In an auto accident claim, there are always many parties involved. It can take up a lot of your time to keep open communication with all of them. Aside from medical expenses, you can also claim lost wages and other financial losses caused by the damages from an auto accident, whether it is to your vehicle or to your body. If someone’s negligence causes you or your loved ones harm, it’s important to seek consultation about how to proceed from our team of experienced attorneys.

No matter how big or small your case is, you can count on us to help you find the responsible party. Our team of attorneys are well-versed in handling auto accidents in Bellingham. We can help you hold the responsible party accountable for your problem and work with every entity involved to get you to a resolution as fast as possible.

Our Bellingham car accident attorneys will work with you in every step of the process. Whether you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim, we can point you to the right direction. Our office has had years of experience and reputation in handling claims for auto accidents in Bellingham. We are trusted by the community to help with many traffic cases, thanks to our dedication to customers, understanding of personal injury law, and our know-how of courtroom politics.

We understand you may feel that legal representation is expensive and hard to come by. Therefore, we are happy to offer you our services on a contingency fee basis. You don’t have to pay legal fees if we don’t manage to secure a settlement on your behalf.

DUI in Bellingham

If you get arrested for DUI driving, your case will be held at Bellingham Municipal Court. In many cases, you can be held on the night of your arrest until a judge can see you. Whether or not you, the defendant, is held in custody, your first appearance (also called an arraignment) in court will usually be on the next business day. The judge will inform you of the crime and then ask if you want to appeal for a plea. In almost every single case, the plea should be “not guilty.” While the case is pending, the court will determine what penalties you will receive. If you have no criminal record nor DUI-related history of violation, except for a high blood-alcohol test, accident, or other aggravating factor, you will likely be released after you have personally recognized your violation and promise to show up at the next court date. Other standard conditions will also be applied to you such as:

• Maintaining lawful behavior
• No consumption of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs
• And other rules to follow

However, if you have a criminal record and DUI-related history, you might have to contend with the court’s decision to install an ignition lock device, impose a bail, requiring you to attend pre-trial probation services, or placing you into home detention while the case is pending. You will be given two future court dates at the arraignment. The first date is a pre-trial conference known as an Omnibus Hearing. It is often scheduled about 6 weeks after the arraignment. The second date is the prospective trial date which is set about two weeks after Omnibus.

When you want to investigate and negotiate on your DUI case, you will have to do that between the arraignment and the omnibus hearing. While you need to contact representatives to handle your DUI in Bellingham, you should really set up the case with a team of lawyers way before the Omnibus hearing.

What to do when you are charged with DUI in Bellingham?

When you are charged with DUI in Bellingham, one of the most difficult tasks is finding a competent and experienced attorney to present you in court. Do not take this as a grain of salt. Working with a good attorney can be the difference between escaping conviction and suffering for years because you haven’t thought through your decision.

Our team of seasoned traffic lawyers truly believe that our most important goal is looking out for your best interests. Our DUI attorney staff in Bellingham has been successfully defending those charged with DUI and drunk driving offenses throughout the state of Washington for many years. Recognized as one of the top DUI law firms in Washington State, we are experienced and skilled Washington DUI attorneys, and committed to drunk driving defense. Regardless of the facts of your case, your record, or your current situation, we will do our best to protect your rights, defend you in court, and keep your record clean from being charged with DUI in Bellingham.

We have personally, successfully resolved hundreds of Washington DUI cases in our years of criminal defense practice. We are available to help you break down your case, identify a course of action and protect you from the consequences of a DUI prosecution.

Traffic tickets in Bellingham

There are two types of traffic tickets in Bellingham that you may be given: moving violations and non-moving violations.

Moving violations are just like the name implies: violations of the traffic law that you commit while your vehicle is in motion. These tickets can include reckless driving, using a cell phone to text and/or call while driving, speeding tickets, and tickets for running red light(s). These are typically serious matters, though. You will not only face a fine, but your driving record will also be updated for future references. In addition, you will face a possible suspension if you commit multiple violations in a row in a short time, and with each violation, your insurance premiums will likely increase significantly.

Non-moving violations are mostly what the name implies: violations of the traffic law that you commit while your vehicle is not moving. However, they may also include things like out-of-date registration and other equipment failures, like a broken taillight.

As you might expect, the penalties for non-moving violations are far less severe, typically, than those of moving violations. The same state fee schedule includes a number of non-moving violations, for reference:

• Illegal parking on roadway (RCW 46.61.560): $30
• Any other parking infraction (not defined by city or county ordinance): $20
• Beach Parking (WAC 352-37-090): $48

While these fines may seem small and you can just pay them off in no time, they are simply base state amounts. There will be extra fees piled on top, and soon you will see a daunting bill to pay. Cities and counties can and will add more to the penalties to cover their own revenue generation and operation costs.

What to do when you get traffic tickets in Bellingham?

The benefits of hiring a lawyer to fight your ticket are pretty substantial: attorneys know the common defenses to tickets, they are in court all the time, and it’ll save you from having to spend hours of your free time, or from having to take time off work to go to court.

If you don’t want your violation to show up as a record when your future employer, landowner, or judge do a Washington state traffic ticket lookup, you can always contact us. Our team of attorneys has a unique perspective and ability to evaluate cases of traffic tickets in Bellingham. This is because some of us are former Seattle Police officers and prosecutors. We can evaluate an investigation to see not only what all parties did, but also what nobody did. Former police officers understand police procedures because they have been on the street. They have written tickets to people, and now they are defending you.

We understand the know-how of courtroom politics. We know the field and the players. Our attorneys have appeared in dozens of courts in Washington and dealt with hundreds of prosecutors all over the State in the past. This gives us an edge over many other defense attorneys in Washington. We have a different perspective.

The Bottom Line

There are many things in life we have plans for, such as insurance, retirement, or a simple holiday trip. But sometimes we forget to ask ourselves: What do I do if I’m injured in an accident that is someone else’s fault? What do I do in this case? For cases of auto accidents, DUI, and traffic tickets in Bellingham, sometimes the results aren’t just a period of annoyance sitting around in court. Sometimes you will suffer from severe injuries, loss of work due to recovery, lost wages, and high hospital bills. It’s important that you make claims to recoup your physical, mental, and financial suffering.

Therefore, you need a reliable personal injury attorney by your side. Our traffic attorney staff can help you deal with all kinds of traffic cases in Bellingham and will help you find the accountable party to request the compensation you need. However, don’t wait until you have suffered too much to schedule a consultation with our team. It’s best that you contact us now, to have a plan just in case anything bad happens.