If you were in a trucking accident in New York, you need to preserve the black box as soon as possible. Contacting a lawyer is the fastest way to secure that data. Companies typically react faster when attorneys approach them because they don’t want legal troubles. They will also know that lawyers know the law, so it’s not easy to fool them.
Key information
Black boxes, also known as electronic control modules (ECMs), record much more than just a visual representation of the road during motor vehicle accidents. They track the number of times the driver exceeded 65 miles per hour, seat belt usage, time-driven, idling time, highest speed, overall average speed, and more. This information is invaluable to you whether you need to protect yourself against a lawsuit or file one.
Data destruction
Some states allow companies to delete the ECM recordings after an accident, making it more critical for you to act promptly in obtaining the data. A court restraining order could prevent the company from deleting the black box data.
Recording time limit
There is also the ECM’s recording time limit that makes obtaining the data urgently. Each black box only records for a certain time period, such as the previous 30 days. Some models have a shorter recording time limit.
What a lawyer could do
A lawyer may file an immediate protective order and ensure that there is a witness from the insurance company when officials retrieve the ECM data. He or she may work with an organization to analyze the data and further investigate anything that looks alarming. If another truck was near the accident, an attorney may also retrieve the black box data from them to gain additional insight.
Securing the black box data after a trucking accident is essential in proving liability. Since you don’t want the company to delete the data, you may want to immediately contact a lawyer.