Accidents involving large commercial trucks often result in significant injuries and property damage, particularly for those inside more traditional vehicles involved in the crash. Any person injured due to the negligent actions of a truck driver or trucking company should be able to recover compensation for their losses. However, securing this compensation can be challenging. This requires gathering evidence, in one piece of evidence is the truck’s black box. Here, we want to discuss what this black box is and how it can be used in court.
What is the Truck’s Black Box?
The black box for a large commercial truck is sometimes referred to as the electronic control module (ECM) or the event data recorder (EDR). This is a computer system that records various data about physical properties related to the truck or trailer that is attached.
The data recorded on the truck’s black box can be crucial when it comes to investigations after an accident. This data can help law enforcement officials, accident reconstruction experts, insurance carriers, and attorneys determine what happened before and during an event, including a crash.
Some of the data that could be recorded on a truck’s black box include:
- The speed of the truck immediately before a crash occurs
- Whether the truck was accelerating or decelerating before a crash
- Whether or not cruise control was engaged prior to an accident
- Whether the truck’s brakes were applied and how quickly before an accident
- How often the truck was driven at, above, or below the speed limit
- Whether or not the truck’s airbag was deployed
- GPS coordinates and location of the truck
- How long the truck had been driven recently
- How many other separate events the truck had been involved in
In some cases, a truck’s black box records communications, including emails or phone calls, between the driver and the trucking carrier or logistics company.
How to Get the Truck’s Black Box to Use in Court
Obtaining a truck’s black box can be challenging, particularly for truck accident victims. The reality is that the trucking company is not going to want to hand over the black box, particularly if it looks like liability could be pinned on them or the driver.
The best way to gain certain types of evidence from the trucking company is to work with a skilled lawyer who has experience handling these types of claims. It may be necessary to use the court system to obtain a subpoena, which will then allow the attorney to obtain the evidence necessary from the driver and the trucking company.
Data from the truck’s black box can be used in court. This data may prove the liability of the truck driver, or it may exonerate the truck driver and trucking company.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Immediately
If you or somebody that you care about has sustained injury or property damage in an accident caused by a truck driver or trucking company in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you need to reach out to an attorney immediately. An experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyer will examine the facts of your case and get to work securing the evidence needed to prove liability. This includes obtaining the truck’s black box. You need a lawyer by your side who will work diligently to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage expenses, and pain and suffering losses.