Ohio Truck Accident Help
A Division of Ohio Truck Accident
Truck accidents are typically much more complicated than everyday car accident injury claims regarding proving liability and recovering compensation. This is particularly true because of the types of evidence involved and who has access to the materials you need. One of the clearest examples is how black box data is used in truck accident cases.
These black boxes, officially known as Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) or Event Data Recorders (EDRs), are installed in most commercial trucks and record various data types. This data can be crucial in reconstructing the events leading to an accident. It includes information about the truck’s speed, brake application, engine performance, and other critical parameters. Analyzing this data helps determine the cause of accidents, assign responsibility, and improve future road safety measures. However, accessing this data may not be easy.
Learn more about black box data, how to get it, and how it can help your case.
An event data recorder tracks many vital metrics in a vehicle. Much like an airplane’s black box, an EDR in a truck records many aspects of a driver’s actions and can help reveal what happened before, during, and after a crash. Black box data provides an unbiased account of a collision, which can be helpful to police officers, attorneys, and other parties investigating the accident.
Typically a truck’s black box records:
Black boxes are not required by law, so not all commercial trucks have them. However, Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are required on most commercial trucks and are similar to black boxes. Like EDRs, ELDs record when the engine is running, the truck’s movement, and how far the vehicle has traveled.
While event data recorders are not required by federal law, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does require every commercial truck to have an electronic logging device.
Since black boxes can provide detailed and objective information about the crash, the data can help you establish the driver’s liability in several ways, such as:
A truck’s black box could demonstrate the driver’s negligence if they were excessively speeding or steering erratically. Data on inconsistent speed and swerving could indicate that the driver was reckless, distracted, or under the influence behind the wheel.
The black box records diagnostics on the vehicle’s mechanical and safety systems. Data can reveal faults in these systems, the steering mechanism, or other critical components that may have caused the accident.
Data from a black box can provide a precise timeline around the collision. For example, it can pinpoint the exact location of the impact and where the crash occurred, helping to determine who was in the wrong lane or violated traffic rules. Knowing the driver’s speed, braking, and steering actions can help industry experts like reconstructionists and investigators accurately put together what happened at the scene.
Trucking companies are responsible for maintaining safe vehicles and could also be at fault for the crash along with the driver. If the black box records show ignored maintenance alerts or prolonged neglect of vital systems, the trucking company could be liable for failing to ensure vehicle safety.
Aside from mechanical neglect, employers could also be liable if they pressure drivers to keep working without taking their legally required breaks. Since black boxes often record mileage and driving time, the data can be used to determine if the driver worked too long and skipped breaks.
If you think black box data could help prove your claim for damages, you may wonder how to get access. Trucking companies and their insurers also recognize how valuable this data is and won’t often give it up without a fight.
First, you’ll need to determine how much data is available. Since black boxes aren’t required by law, what’s recorded on one device may not be tracked on another. In addition, black boxes may only retain data for a few weeks or months. They can also be cleared manually and often by trucking companies to make proving liability more challenging.
You have a much higher chance of recovering black box data with the help of a truck accident attorney. A lawyer understands how complex truck accident cases can be, and they have experience handling cases like yours and going up against trucking companies and their insurers.
Your attorney can investigate the case and work quickly to get access to the black box data so crucial evidence isn’t lost. This may require filing a subpoena to demand the trucking company turn over the data.
After your attorney has the data, they can analyze it and use the most relevant pieces to build your case. They might enlist the help of expert witnesses like doctors or accident reconstructionists to support your claim further and show the extent of your damages.
If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident, the truth in the vehicle’s black box data can help you get justice. The legal team at Ohio Truck Accident Help knows how to navigate the complexities of retrieving and analyzing this vital evidence, ensuring a clear path to the compensation you deserve.
We’re highly experienced in going up against trucking companies and their insurers, and we’ll fight to get all the available information and evidence to bolster your claim. We have a track record of success helping truck accident victims like you, and we’ll do what it takes to help you and your family move forward after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discuss how we can help.