To find out how we can help you, call us at 877-936-9707 or fill out our online contact form for a free and confidential claim evaluation. Black Box Evidence in a Truck Crash
The EDR or black box now onboard many commercial trucks in the United States grew out of computerized instruments developed in the 1990s to monitor emissions from trucks. As technological capabilities grew, they began to monitor data of interest to trucking companies, such as fuel economy, time at idle, engine problems and the amount of time that a truck spent at various speeds.
Eventually the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggested that with some software changes, EDRs could begin to gather crash data, and EDR capability became a standard feature on most heavy trucks.
Unfortunately, EDRs have not yet been standardized. The information contained in a commercial truck’s black box may vary according to the make and model of the truck. It may include data about the truck’s:
- Wheel speed
- Engine RPM
- Delta-V (a measurement of the effort required to change the direction of the truck at a specified speed)
- ABS (anti-lock braking system)
- Clutch pedal
- Service brake
- Tire pressure
- Cruise control
- Accelerator governor
- Cruise governor
- Audit trail
- Engine usage history
- Daily engine usage
- Maintenance history
- Fault codes (engine problems identified)
- Engine parameters
- Critical event data, for example, rapid deceleration or “hard braking.”
Recovery of black box data after a truck accident is often part of the accident reconstruction process that in many cases is part of a proper truck accident investigation. Joye Law Firm works with professional engineers to perform this service for our clients. In some cases, our lawyers must go to court to have EDRs preserved and downloaded on behalf of our clients after a truck crash.
Data from a commercial truck’s black box may be one more weapon your team of truck accident lawyers can use in negotiations with trucking company insurers or in court. But time is of the essence, and crucial evidence may be lost. So, it is important to contact a truck accident lawyer as soon after your wreck as possible. That way, this important data can be obtained on your behalf.
Contact a South Carolina Truck Accident Injury Lawyer
Joye Law Firm’s truck accident lawyers explore the role of all potentially responsible parties – including truck drivers, trucking companies and manufacturers – after a truck accident. Let our attorneys and consultants conduct a thorough investigation of how and why you were injured in a truck accident and seek the compensation that you deserve for your losses.
Call Joye Law Firm. Contact us at 877-936-9707 or fill out this online form for a free review of your case and legal options.
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