When the negligent driver’s insurance company disputes the cause of your auto crash, you must prove the other driver was at fault in order to receive the compensation that you deserve. Pictures of the accident scene and damage to the vehicles, eyewitness testimony, and an accident reconstruction expert’s report are some of the ways that you can do this. Another key piece of evidence that may help you convince the insurance adjuster to settle your claim is data from the black boxes in the vehicles that were involved in the wreck.
How Can Black Box Data Help Prove Liability in a Car Accident Claim?
You may not realize that your vehicle contains a black box—also known as an electronic recording device (EDR). However, these data recording devices are required to be installed in vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2014, and were installed in some vehicles manufactured prior to that date. These black boxes do not record all the same data as an airplane’s black box, such as audio and video footage inside the vehicle, but still can provide a wealth of useful information.
EDRs in autos will store data in two situations. If the airbag deployed in a crash, the black box will permanently store all of the information in the seconds leading up to and after the accident. When an airbag does not deploy, the data will only be stored for a shorter period of time before it is recorded over. Helpful information that an EDR provides includes:
- Vehicle’s speed prior to the impact
- Vehicle’s speed at the time of the actual collision
- Steering angle when the crash occurred
- Whether the vehicle’s occupants were using their seat belts
- Whether the driver used his brakes before the impact
- Whether the airbags were deployed
- Number of crashes and the time period between them, which can be useful in a multi-vehicle crash
You will need to act quickly to obtain this data before it is destroyed or taped over. Retaining an experienced car accident attorney right after your wreck is crucial if you want to obtain this and other evidence that could be lost if you wait too long.
If you need assistance filing a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company, our skilled legal team is here to collect the evidence you will need and to negotiate your settlement for you. To get started, fill out our online form to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.
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