What happens if I received a summons for an auto accident but I don’t show up in court?
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What happens if I received a summons for an auto accident but I don’t show up in court?
I had only heard the pre-accident speed of an unknown vehicle. I didn’t not actually witness the single car accident. What happens if I don’t show up; am I in contempt? I really don’t want to take the time to go just to offer no real information.
Asked on May 19, 2013 under Accident Law, Virginia
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
You may be able to offer your testimony in the way of a deposition with both parties present with a court reporter. You may be able to offer an affidavit of what you do know. If everything you have is hearsay, then you need to let the party for whom you would be testifying that you cannot attend court. You could be held in contempt but you need to address it before the court date. If this is a hardship for you to attend, you need to inform the party for whom you are advocating and see what can be done.
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