Posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2016 at 3:26 am
Why is a Truck’s Black Box so Important in a California Truck Accident Case?
Have you been injured in a truck accident in California? Have you lost a loved one in a California commercial truck accident? If so, you need an attorney who understands that truck accidents cannot be handled in the same way as an accident involving passenger vehicles. Some attorneys do not have the experience necessary to represent your interests in the best possible manner. For example, if an attorney is not familiar with a truck’s black box, the attorney may miss crucial evidence that can increase your chance of receiving the maximum compensation allowable by law for your truck accident claim.
What is a Truck’s Black Box?
You may be familiar with the black box that is used in an aircraft to record vital information that helps investigators identify the cause of an airplane crash. What most people do not know, and some attorneys are unaware of, is that most commercial trucks have black boxes that record technical data about the trucks performance and the driver’s behavior immediately prior to a collision. The information recorded by the truck’s black box may be used to prove fault for the accident.
How Does the Black Box Work?
The black box is an EDR (electronic data recorder) that records data such as the speed of the vehicle; if the driver applied the brake or the accelerator; whether the airbags deployed, if the driver had his or her seatbelt buckled; and, other vital information. Standards for EDRs are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The data from a black box can be downloaded by law enforcement agencies to assist with an accident investigation. An attorney for a truck accident victim can also request the data from the black box as part of his accident investigation on behalf of the accident victim.
Why is the Data from the Black Box Important in a Truck Accident Case?
The data obtained from the truck’s black box can help prove that the truck driver was negligent in causing the accident (i.e. speeding) or whether a defect in the truck caused the accident (i.e. faulty brakes). However, the truck accident attorney must act quickly to preserve the data on the truck’s black box. The information on the black box is recorded over; therefore, if a truck attorney fails to put the company on notice to preserve the data on the truck’s black box, vital information could be lost.
Losing the information on the truck’s black box can significantly affect your truck accident claim; therefore, you need an experienced truck accident attorney who understands what steps need to be taken to preserve this vital evidence.
Get Help from an Experienced Sacramento Truck Accident Attorney
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, contact Tiemann Law Firm immediately. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling truck accidents; therefore, we know exactly what steps to take to preserve evidence and protect your best interests.
Our Sacramento personal injury attorneys offer free consultations so that you can get the legal advice you need to protect your right to receive a fair and just settlement for your truck accident claim. Contact us online, call our toll free number at (916) 999-9000, or chat with a representative on our website to schedule your appointment with one of our attorneys.
