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A truck’s black box may be invaluable after a crash

On Behalf of | Jan 22, 2020 | Truck Accidents |

If you routinely travel in or around Charleston, you know how popular the area is for commercial truckers. After all, Interstates 64, 77 and 79 are major thoroughfares. While truck drivers perform an essential function, truck accidents may put your life in danger. 

While less common than other types of motor vehicle accidents, commercial truck crashes are often fatal. In fact, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, more than 5,000 individuals died in truck accidents in 2017 alone. If you have sustained a serious injury in a commercial truck collision, the truck’s black box may prove invaluable. 

Two sides to every story 

If you plan to pursue compensation for your injuries and property damage, you likely must show that a driver’s negligent conduct caused the accident. This, of course, can be challenging. After all, there are often at least two sides to every story. If there were no witnesses to the collision, the truck driver may try to blame the crash on you. Alternatively, he or she may come up with other explanations for why the accident occurred. 

The black box 

Following an accident, a truck’s black box may help you fill in the gaps. Formally known as electronic control modules or event data recorders, black boxes are present on most commercial vehicles. The box provides important details about the truck. In fact, if you retrieve the box, you may better understand any of the following: 

  •         Speed
  •         Location
  •         Acceleration and braking
  •         Hours of drivetime
  •         Other relevant information 

Clearly, the truck’s black box is only useful to you if you can obtain it following the accident. As such, you must act quickly to ensure that neither the driver nor anyone else deletes valuable information. Remember, you should not have to bear the cost of recovering from injuries you sustained in a collision with a negligent truck driver. When building your case, reviewing the information contained in the truck’s black box may be essential.