An auto event data recorder (EDR) or black box can provide a key source of information a car accident attorney can use to determine what happened in a collision and identify who was at fault. Black box data can be especially critical for proving fault in motor vehicle crash cases where the involved drivers are pointing fingers at each other.
What Does an Event Data Recorder Capture?
Many newer passenger vehicles contain an event data recorder that stores information about the vehicle in the seconds before, during, and immediately after a crash for later accident analysis. While the exact information available varies by vehicle, car accident attorneys can generally download the stored data to help them prepare injury claims after auto accidents.
Black box crash data may include information about:
- The vehicle’s pre-crash speed shortly before impact
- Whether the driver applied the brakes
- Accelerator pedal position or engine throttle
- Changes in the vehicle’s speed during the crash
- Seat belt status for occupants
- Whether and when the airbags deployed
- Steering inputs and other recorded vehicle system data
- Vehicle roll angles
How Fault Is Determined in a Car Accident Case
Recorded data from automotive black boxes is just one type of car accident evidence used to determine who was responsible for a crash. Attorneys and crash investigators can also review physical evidence from the crash scene, photos and videos, medical records, and third-party expert analysis and testimony to figure out what happened. Data downloaded from a car’s black box can provide hard evidence that supports or confirms what might otherwise have to be guessed at.
How The Car Accident Attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer Use Event Data Recorders in Car Accident Cases
Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer has more than 25 years of experience investigating and pursuing personal injury claims for people injured in Kentucky auto accidents. Accessing and reviewing the information preserved through event data recorders is often a key component of our process.
When it is not immediately clear who was at fault for a car crash, the attorneys at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can compare EDR data with other evidence from the crash to show facts like how fast a vehicle was traveling, whether the driver braked before impact, and whether the driver swerved. We can use this information to support our client’s account and challenge conflicting statements about the accident.
Our Success with Kentucky Car Accident Cases
Although prior results do not guarantee specific outcomes in future cases, Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer is proud of how our investigative process and use of event data recorder information have helped us build a strong track record in car accident cases. Some examples of compensation we have recovered in motor vehicle accident cases include:
- $6 million for a client who sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident
- $5.275 million for a client injured in a car wreck
- $1.025 million for a client whose loved one was killed in a collision
Call Us for Help with Your Car Accident Case
If you got hurt in a car accident someone else caused, Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer has the Kentucky Courage needed to fight for the compensation you deserve, including by accessing the recorded information available from the vehicles’ event data recorders.
Contact us right away to get started with a free consultation.
