For several reasons, truck accidents are generally much more complicated than the average car accident. The resulting property damage and injuries are much more severe due to a fully loaded commercial truck’s massive size and weight. In addition, if the passenger vehicle’s occupants involved in the accident suffered severe injuries, several parties may be liable, making the claims process more complicated to navigate.
To have a successful claim and recover the financial compensation you deserve, you must prove that the truck driver – or another liable party – was negligent. One way to do this is to retrieve data from the truck’s black box. However, it may be difficult to obtain this information on your own. An experienced truck accident lawyer can take the steps necessary to retrieve this data.
What Is a Black Box?
Also known as an Event Data Recorder (EDR), black boxes are computer chips that record information about the truck driver’s movements and actions while behind a commercial truck’s wheel. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), all commercial trucks must be equipped with a black box so that truck companies can ensure that their drivers are obeying the rules of the road and complying with federal regulations. In a serious truck accident, black box data can provide vital information about what happened in the moments leading up to the crash and help prove who is responsible for causing the accident.
What Information Is Stored in the Black Box?
A black box stores a wide range of data, including information about the truck and the truck driver’s behavior in the moments leading up to the accident. While the exact data recorded by the black box may depend on the manufacturer, make, and model of the truck, the following are examples of data that is typically stored in a black box:
- How fast the truck was traveling before the crash
- Sudden acceleration or deceleration before the crash
- Brake application
- Airbag deployment
- Force of impact
- Whether the truck driver was wearing a seat belt
- Tire pressure
- The following distance
- Whether the cruise control was used
- Number of hard stops
- Steering wheel movement
- Gear engagement times
- Tilt of the vehicle
- Diagnostic snapshots that indicate possible truck defects
- GPS location
- Truck usage data, which includes hours of service (HOS) information
- Number of crashes and the amount of time between previous collisions
How Does Black Box Data Help My Truck Accident Claim?
You must prove that a party or parties were negligent in some way and that their negligence caused the truck accident that resulted in your injuries. While a range of evidence can help prove negligence, the data from the black box is extremely valuable.
For example, if you were rear-ended by a commercial truck, the black box data may show that the truck driver was tailgating and failed to slow down or hit the brakes before crashing into the back of your vehicle. The data may also show that the truck’s brake system was defective and that the truck driver continued driving an unsafe truck, even after reporting the faulty brakes to the truck company.
How Do I Obtain Information From a Commercial Truck’s Black Box?
If you suffered a severe injury in a truck accident, the data from the truck’s black box can provide extremely valuable information that can help you recover the damages to which you are entitled. Keep in mind, however, that truck companies do not generally hand over their trucks’ black box data willingly. A dedicated truck accident lawyer can help secure the black box data.
The data from black boxes in commercial trucks is only stored for a limited time. Some systems preserve the information for up to 30 days, while others erase the data after only a few days. This is one of the many reasons why contacting a truck accident lawyer is essential as soon as possible after a truck accident.
If the information on the black box has been erased by the time you hire a lawyer and initiate the claims process, you will no longer have access to this valuable information. When you hire a truck accident lawyer, they can file an official written request instructing the truck company not to destroy any relevant evidence, including the black box data. The truck company may face severe legal penalties if it fails to abide by these instructions.
What Data Is Not Included in a Black Box?
While the data from a truck’s black box can provide valuable information you may not otherwise have access to, it does not necessarily tell the whole story. For example, if the device was not properly calibrated or maintained, the data may not be reliable.
In addition, the black box does not provide information about road conditions at the time of the accident and whether other nearby motorists were engaging in negligent driving behavior. A truck accident lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation, obtain data from the truck’s black box, and secure additional evidence.
Cincinnati Truck Accident Lawyers at Wolterman Law Office Represent Victims of Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a truck accident, do not hesitate to contact our Cincinnati truck accident lawyers at Wolterman Law Office. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 513-488-1135 or contact us online. Located in Loveland, Ohio, we serve clients in Hamilton County, Fairfield, Norwood, and Forest Park.