What Is a Truck's “Black Box,” and Why Can It Matter After an Accident?
After a serious tractor-trailer collision, witnesses may disagree about what happened.
How fast was the truck traveling? Was the driver braking? What was happening with the vehicle immediately before the crash?
In some cases, electronic information associated with the commercial vehicle may assist investigators in reconstructing events.
You may hear this evidence casually referred to as the truck's “black box.”
What Is Black-Box Data?
“Black box” is an informal term commonly used when discussing electronically recorded vehicle information.
The particular information available depends on the vehicle, its equipment, and the circumstances. It should not be assumed that every truck records the same information or that every desired data point will be available.
Where relevant data exists, however, it may provide useful objective evidence when investigating a collision.
Why Can Electronic Data Matter?
Consider a collision where the truck driver says the passenger vehicle suddenly entered the truck's path while an injured motorist remembers the truck approaching at high speed.
Physical evidence, electronic information, video, witness testimony, photographs, and other evidence may help investigators evaluate competing accounts.
Electronic evidence can be particularly useful because it may provide information independent of what either driver remembers.
What Is an ELD?
An electronic logging device, or ELD, is different from the vehicle data people commonly call a black box.
ELD information can be relevant when investigating issues involving a commercial driver's duty status and driving time.
In an appropriate case, those records may help investigate whether driver fatigue or hours of service played a role in the collision.
Other Electronic Evidence Can Matter Too
A modern trucking investigation may potentially involve:
- Electronic logging information;
- Vehicle data;
- GPS information;
- Dispatch records;
- Electronic communications;
- Dash-camera footage; and
- Other electronically stored information.
The available evidence will depend on the truck, carrier, technology involved, and facts of the particular collision.
Why Act Promptly?
Electronic evidence should not simply be assumed to remain available indefinitely.
When electronically stored information may be important to a serious injury case, preservation should be considered promptly.
An investigation can therefore begin with identifying what potentially relevant information exists, who controls it, and what steps may be appropriate to preserve it.
Pittsburgh Truck Accident Representation
A commercial-truck case can involve evidence that does not ordinarily arise in a typical passenger-car collision.
At Frank Walker Law, we understand the importance of investigating serious accidents and identifying evidence that may help explain how and why the collision occurred.
If you or a family member has suffered serious injuries in an accident involving a tractor-trailer or commercial vehicle, contact Frank Walker Law to discuss your situation.
Please like and share this article with your network. A friend or loved one involved in a truck accident may not know that important electronic evidence can exist—or that preserving it promptly may matter.
About Frank Walker Law
Attorney Frank Walker of Frank Walker Law is a National Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer, and Personal Injury Attorney who has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, a member of the National College for DUI Defense, Best Attorneys in America, Best Law firms of America, America’s Greatest Attorneys, and a Top AVVO Rated attorney, with offices in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Morgantown West Virginia.
Additionally, you can find Attorney Walker on YouTube, TikTok, the Pittsburgh Attorney Podcast and the West Virginia Attorney Podcast, where he gives legal tips (not advice!) and discusses the pressing legal issues of the day.
If you or someone you love are facing criminal charges or are seriously injured in an accident, contact Attorney Frank Walker immediately at 412-532-6805 (Pittsburgh), 304-413-0179 (Morgantown), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for aggressive and experienced Criminal Defense or Representation in a Civil Case.