How Long Do Trucking Companies Keep Black Box and Driver Log Data After a Pittsburgh Truck Accident?
After a serious truck accident, some of the most important evidence may never appear in the police report.
A commercial truck may generate electronic information about the vehicle and driver. The trucking company may also possess driver logs, dispatch records, maintenance records, GPS information, video, and other evidence that could help establish what happened.
The problem is simple: you should not assume that all of this evidence will remain available indefinitely.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Pittsburgh truck accident, identifying and preserving evidence can be an important early step.
What Electronic Evidence May Exist After a Truck Accident?
The available information varies depending upon the truck, carrier, equipment, and circumstances of the collision.
Potential evidence may include:
- Electronic logging device (ELD) records;
- Engine control module or other vehicle data;
- GPS and location information;
- Driver hours-of-service records;
- Dash-camera footage;
- Dispatch communications;
- Electronic inspection reports;
- Maintenance records; and
- Other electronically stored information.
Not every commercial truck will contain every type of information. An investigation should determine what actually exists rather than assume that particular data was recorded.
How Long Is Trucking Evidence Kept?
There is no single retention period covering every piece of evidence that might matter in a truck accident case.
Different records may be subject to different legal requirements, company policies, technological limitations, or ordinary business practices.
Electronic information can present an additional concern because some systems may overwrite older information as new information is generated.
That is why waiting to investigate a serious tractor-trailer accident in Pennsylvania can create unnecessary risk.
What Is a Preservation Letter?
When litigation is reasonably anticipated, an attorney may send written notice identifying potentially relevant evidence that should be preserved.
Depending upon the accident, a preservation request may identify evidence such as:
- ELD records;
- Vehicle data;
- Driver logs;
- Dash-camera video;
- Driver qualification records;
- Inspection and maintenance records;
- Dispatch communications;
- GPS information; and
- Documents concerning the truck, trailer, or cargo.
The appropriate request depends on the facts of the particular collision.
Why Can This Evidence Be Important?
Consider a truck driver who says a passenger vehicle suddenly cut in front of the tractor-trailer.
Electronic vehicle data, video, GPS information, physical evidence, and witness testimony may provide additional information concerning speed, braking, vehicle movement, or the sequence leading to the collision.
Likewise, driver logs and related records may become relevant when fatigue is suspected.
The purpose is not to assume what the evidence will prove. It is to preserve the evidence so the accident can be properly investigated.
Don't Wait Until a Lawsuit Is Filed
Evidence preservation can become important well before a complaint is filed in court.
A trucking company and its insurer may begin investigating a serious accident quickly. An injured person should consider doing the same.
Pittsburgh Truck Accident Lawyers
At Frank Walker Law, we represent individuals and families injured in serious accidents throughout Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor-trailer, semi-truck, commercial vehicle, or delivery-truck accident, contact Frank Walker Law to discuss your legal options and whether important evidence should be preserved.
If you found this article helpful, please like and share it with your network. One of your friends, coworkers, family members, or loved ones may someday need to know that important trucking evidence can disappear if it is not identified and preserved.
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.