Most people know that an airplane’s black box could lead to important information as to the cause of an airplane crash. You may not be aware that a truck also contains a black box that can also help prove the trucker’s and trucking company’s negligence in causing your truck crash. However, you will need to act quickly to obtain this information from the trucking company before it is lost. This will not be an easySemi Truck Wreck task.

Helpful Information That a Truck’s Black Box Could Contain

Black boxes have been installed in commercial trucks since the 1990s, so it is almost certain that the truck that caused your wreck contained one. These devices are also known as event data recorders (EDR) and consist of sensors and other components linked to the truck’s engine that record information regarding the trucker’s actions and the truck’s operations, including the following:

  • Truck’s average and highest speed and the speed at the time of your wreck
  • Time the trucker drove
  • Time that the trucker drove at 65 miles per hour or faster
  • Average engine RPM
  • Seat belt usage by the trucker and any co-driver
  • Airbag performance
  • Truck’s idling time
  • Hard braking and sudden stops
  • Cruise control usage
  • GPS coordinates and location

How Can the Truck’s EDR Information Help When Filing a Claim for Compensation?

The truck’s black box can provide factual information regarding what the truck was doing before, during, and after your collision that may be in sharp contrast to what the trucking company and trucker claim. Some of its uses include:

  • The data can be used with other information by a crash reconstruction expert to recreate how the trucker caused your wreck.
  • You can use the data to determine how fast the truck was travelling before and during your wreck and whether the truck driver was speeding.
  • You can see if the trucker applied the brakes before or during your wreck.
  • You can compare the black box data to the daily log of hours driven that the truck driver is required to complete. This can help you determine if he violated federal hours of service regulations regarding the hours he is allowed to drive and if fatigue caused your crash.

Our Experienced Legal Team Can Help to Obtain the Truck’s Black Box

EDR data is often recorded over in approximately 30 days. You need an experienced truck wreck attorney to act quickly and send the trucking company a spoliation letter advising them not to destroy this vital information. At the Hart Law Firm, our experienced legal team understands the importance of obtaining the black box data and other evidence important to your truck wreck claim before it is destroyed. 

Have You Been Injured In A Texas Truck Accident?

If you've been injured in a truck accident you need to speak with an experienced truck accident injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Colleyville office directly at 817.485.8888 to schedule your free consultation.

We help injured truck accident victims throughout Texas including Arlington, North Richland, Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Irving and all points in between.

David Hart
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Helping victims throughout Fort Worth, Arlington, North Richland, Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst and points between