Connecticut Texting While Driving Lawyer

As iPhone, Blackberry and Galaxy devices gain popularity, so do the risks of using them while driving. In fact, you do not have to look very far on the roads to see other drivers texting or using their cell phones while operating their automobiles. Believe it or not, studies show that texting while driving can be as dangerous—if not more dangerous—than drunk driving. And then of course, there are the occasional and tragic stories of people who are texting and driving who are getting into serious accidents that have even caused fatalities.

Regardless of whether these studies or reports are accurate, one thing is certain: police in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Wilton, Fairfield, Norwalk and New Canaan have become more and more vigilant in pulling people over and charging them with texting while driving or using a handheld cell phone while driving. The Connecticut motor vehicle law at issue, C.G.S. § 14-296aa, is very straightforward: you are not permitted to engage in any form of texting or touching your handheld device while operating your motor vehicle.

Is it Necessary to Fight these Texting While Driving Tickets?

We frequently receive calls from Connecticut drivers who have been issued tickets for violating C.G.S. § 14-296aa, but are not sure if it’s worth hiring an attorney to defend them, as sometimes it can be just cheaper to check the “guilty” box on the ticket and mail the ticket in with the fine money. If you have been pulled over for violating this Connecticut cell phone / texting while driving law, the officer will usually write you a ticket and the fine will be $125 for a first violation, $250 for a second violation, and $400 for a third violation. Be careful, however, as guilty pleas by mail can result in consequences to your driving history and insurance premium rates.

The advantages of hiring an attorney to fight these motor vehicle charges is to keep your driving record clean for automobile insurance purposes and background checks. While we can never guarantee specific results, we can rely on our track record of experience and success in these types of cases. We regularly challenge these types of tickets on behalf of Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk and New Canaan drivers charged with texting while driving and illegal use of their cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.

With just a quick phone call to the lawyers at Mark Sherman Law, we can perform a quick cost-benefit analysis for you—that is, we can advise you whether it makes sense for you to fight the ticket. Our goal is to get your texting while driving / cell phone charges dropped at the courthouse—specifically, we work to get the charge dropped or negotiated down to a non-moving violation so as to have as little (or no) effect on your driving history and insurance record. Additionally, depending on the jurisdiction where you have been charged with Texting While Driving or Using a Cell Phone While Driving, we can handle your ticket without requiring you to ever have to come to court!

We therefore encourage you to make a call to Mark Sherman Law to see how we can help you. Our flat fees for handling these types of case are competitive, and if we do not believe it would be cost-effective for you to hire us to fight your ticket, we will not take your case.

Does Fighting these Cell Phone Tickets Require a Court Appearance?

If you are issued a C.G.S. § 14-296aa ticket in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk and New Canaan, the ticket will indicate a deadline date for you to plead not guilty or plead guilty and pay the fine. Prior to this deadline date, we encourage you to contact us for a consultation to discuss how you should proceed.

Cell Phone and Texting While Driving Tickets in Port Chester or Rye Town Courts

Many of the attorneys at Mark Sherman Law are also licensed to practice in the criminal and motor vehicle courts in Westchester County, New York. As a result, the lawyers in our Stamford and Manhattan offices routinely appear in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County traffic courts, including Port Chester, Rye, and Harrison Village Courts. We fight Texting while Driving and Driving with Cell Phone tickets in these courts and work swiftly and aggressively to dismiss these tickets or get your charges reduced. Remember, our objective is minimize the effect that these tickets have on your driving history and insurance record.

How Texting While Driving and Cell Phone Tickets Can Affect Your Insurance

Some clients have asked how these texting while driving tickets can affect their insurance rates. When your auto insurance policy is up for its annual renewal, your insurance carrier will likely review your driving record to assess its risk in providing coverage to you. If you have too many moving violations on your record—such as guilty pleas to texting while driving and cell phone tickets—then this can cause carriers to raise your premiums, or in some very limited circumstances, even deny coverage going forward. This is why we recommend hiring an attorney to fight these tickets.

Contact Us Today

If you have been issued a C.G.S. § 14-296aa ticket for texting while driving or a cell phone violation in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, or New Canaan, please call an attorney at Mark Sherman Law to learn how we can help you. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (203) 358-4700.