Manhattan Traffic Ticket Lawyers

The borough of Manhattan has one of the lowest rates of car ownership in the State of New York. In fact, only 22 percent of the population own their own car. There are plenty of reasons for that, from the fact that parking is extremely limited to how easy it is to just jump in a cab or on the subway to get to where you need to go.

Just because car ownership rates are low, however, doesn’t mean traffic tickets aren’t common. With over a quarter million cars on the island, police are constantly on the lookout for drivers who are breaking the law — and may even hand out tickets to those who haven’t done anything wrong at all.

If you’re handed a citation while driving in the heart of New York, your best option is to contact a Manhattan traffic ticket lawyer with Feifer & Greenberg as soon as you can. During your free consultation, our experienced attorneys will review the details of your ticket and help you decide whether fighting the ticket is worth it (spoiler alert: it almost always is).

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU GET A TRAFFIC TICKET IN MANHATTAN?

The New York Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) tends to want to get through cases quickly. After all, there are millions of tickets handed out every year, and spending a lot of time handing every case would be impossible. For that reason, you only have 15 days from the date of the citation to decide whether or not you’re going to plead not guilty.

Whether you choose to plead guilty or not, you can either make your intentions known via mail or using the online portal. We always recommend using the online portal, since there will be no delay. With such a limited time frame, it’s in your best interest to speak with our attorneys and get a free consultation with an Manhattan traffic ticket lawyer as soon as you can.

ARE THERE TVB OFFICES IN MANHATTAN?

If you decide to plead not guilty, you will be given a court date and location. These cases are handled in TVB office nearest to where your ticket was issued. There are two TVB offices in Manhattan: Manhattan North and Manhattan South. Both offices are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Thursdays, they close at 6 p.m.

MANHATTAN NORTH

159 East 125 Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10035

MANHATTAN SOUTH

17 Battery Place, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10004

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TRAFFIC TICKETS IN MANHATTAN?

Though there are tickets issued for dozens of different violations, the most common by far in Manhattan is disobeying a traffic control device. This is a violation of  VTL §1110(a). If you are found guilty of disobeying a traffic control device, you may be subject to a fine, plus there will be two points added to your license.

The next most common violations are using a phone while driving, and making improper turns. Using a cell phone or other portable electronic device while driving is a violation of VTL §1225(c) & (d). If you’re found guilty, you will be subject to a fine and, more importantly, five points will be added to your license.

Improper turns are a violation of VTL § 1160. Though there are many different turns that can fall under this law, each one carries a fine and 2 points added to your license.

WHY DO I NEED A MANHATTAN TRAFFIC TICKET LAWYER?

As you may have guessed, hiring a Manhattan traffic ticket lawyer isn’t free. So you may think it’s better to just pay your ticket and get on with your life. While this is the case for some tickets, there are plenty of tickets that you will want to have an attorney fight against on your behalf. Why?

Take a look at the most common violations above. Each one of them carries points that go on your license. If you accrue 11 points on your license within 18 months, your license may be suspended. Depending on the violation, those points may stay on your license for a long time.

It’s not just your license being suspended that’s an issue, though. The violation you’re convicted of can have a major impact on your insurance. License points from the DMV have no impact on your insurance; rather, insurers have their own “point system.” The more severe the infraction, the more points your insurer will assess.

But it still goes beyond that. Depending on your job, having too many license points could mean you become unemployed. Professional drivers are expected to have a clean driving record, and if you accumulate too many points, your employer may decide you’re too much of a risk to keep on a payroll.

So how does a Manhattan traffic ticket lawyer help? Our ultimate goal is to get your ticket dismissed altogether. But in many case, that simply isn’t possible. Instead, we will work with the prosecutors to get your violation reduced to a less serious one. For instance, we may be able to get a 5-point railroad crossing violation reduced to a 2-point disobeying a traffic control device violation.

This allows you to not only get fewer points on your license, but it means a lesser violation gets reported to your insurer. That means your insurance rates may not increase nearly as much as they might have.

SPEAK TO A MANHATTAN TRAFFIC TICKET LAWYER TODAY

The long-term benefits of hiring a Manhattan traffic ticket lawyer are obvious. However, we know we can’t help every client. After all, there are some tickets that don’t even come with license points or hefty fines. That’s why we always offer free consultations. Before you spend a dime, we’ll let you know if hiring us would be beneficial.

If you’ve been issued a traffic ticket in Manhattan, give the experienced attorneys at Feifer and Greenberg a call today at (888) 842-5384 or contact us online for your free, no-obligation consultation.