The Role of Black Box Data in Florida Car Accident Cases
Many modern vehicles collect valuable data that could make or break a car accident case. Perhaps the most powerful tool for vehicle data collection in accident investigations is the black box, also known as an event data recorder (EDR). Your car accident attorney may be able to use black box data to build a compelling case for the compensation you deserve.
But what does a car’s black box record, how can you obtain the data, and how can that data prove liability?
What Is a Black Box and What Information Does It Record?
A black box is a data-collecting tool that records critical details in the moments before, during, and after a collision. Data-recording devices have long been used in airplanes and commercial trucks, but many newer passenger cars can now collect vital information in an accident.
So, what do car black boxes record? They often record data such as:
- Vehicle speed just before impact
- Brake application or lack thereof
- Seatbelt usage by occupants
- Airbag deployment timing and performance
- Throttle position and acceleration patterns
- Steering inputs in the seconds leading up to the crash
Such data tells an objective story about how the driver acted and the vehicle performed at the time of the crash. The information a black box stores can confirm or contradict statements from drivers and passengers, providing a clear, unbiased view of what really happened.
How Black Box Data Can Prove Liability in Florida Car Accident Cases
Liability disputes are common in many Florida car accident claims. Black boxes in vehicles can provide objective evidence to resolve these disputes by documenting how the accident occurred.
For example, the black box data may reveal that a driver was speeding excessively or failed to brake or swerve before the accident, indicating that they bear at least some responsibility for the crash. Black box data can also prove that a vehicle malfunction, rather than driver error, caused the accident.
Your car accident attorney can work with experts to analyze black box data and reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the accident. When insurers try to deny or minimize your claim, your lawyer can then rely on hard data, not opinions or memories, to show that the other driver was at fault.
The Process of Obtaining Black Box Data After an Accident
Retrieving black box data requires prompt action and technical skill. Vehicle owners or insurance companies often control access to the data, and it can be lost if the car undergoes repairs or is sold for salvage. Your attorney must act quickly to preserve this information before it is lost.
Obtaining black box data often requires your attorney to send a preservation letter to the vehicle owner and to request access to the device. Once they have acquired the black box data, they can work with experts to extract and interpret it to build your case.
Contact Rosen & Ohr, P.A., for Help with Your Car Accident Case
If you have suffered injuries in a Florida car accident, you do not have to face the aftermath alone. The experienced car crash attorneys at Rosen & Ohr, P.A., can obtain black box data and utilize it to build a compelling claim for maximum compensation.
Contact us today for your free consultation.
Jerrad Ohr focuses on workers’ compensation cases, personal injury claims, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death lawsuits, and medical malpractice cases. Mr. Ohr’s hard work ethic, innovative drive, technical experience, and extensive array of knowledge provide great assets to our firm’s clients.
