Much like an airplane, many commercial trucks have electronic on-board recorders (EOBR) installed within them. These “black boxes” store important data pertaining to the events before, during, and after a trucking accident occurs. While the parent company and their insurance carrier make use of this stored data for their own statistics, personal injury lawyers can make use of it for their clients who were hit by the truck.
Speed Records & Relevance to Truck Accident Cases
Unlike the black box recorder of an airplane, EOBRs in commercial trucks do not collect data regarding every little detail and nuance of the truck. They do, however, carefully track the speed of the truck during specific sets of time. An EOBR also tracks and records how often the vehicle was traveling faster than 65 miles per hour, and again keeps separate counts of how often it was moving faster than 71 miles per hour. This system of tracking average movement speed is used to determine if the driver has a history of negligence and other reckless driving habits. If electronic records show that a driver pushes their truck over the speed limit regularly and yet was never penalized by his or her employer, it could serve as evidence of company negligence.
Getting a Copy of EOBR Data
Trucking companies often have no obligation to share the information they discover on the electronic on-board recorder of their vehicles, even after one of their drivers is in a collision. In order to get a copy of that important data, people often require the assistance of a personal injury attorney who knows how to handle obtaining evidence properly.
If you have been involved in an accident involving a truck in Louisiana, contact our New Orleans truck accident attorneys at The Womac Law Firm. The Womac Law Firm has helped personal injury clients for over 30 years and knows how to handle truck accident claims. If you have any questions regarding your accident, call 504.470.3935 today for a free evaluation and get additional information from our team.