What Kind of Information is Stored on a Truck’s Computer After an Accident?
Just like airplanes, almost all large commercial trucks driving in Texas are equipped with on-board computers, sometimes called black boxes that record on-going data regarding the operation of the truck. Among many things, these Electronic Control Modules, (ECM) devices can record a driver’s hours of service, amount of time driven over certain speeds and even hard stops and seat belt usage. Accessing this data is extremely helpful in proving negligence in your Texas truck accident case, but you must act quickly. Most ECM's record data for a period of thirty days or less and usually when the ECM’s capacity is reached the data will be recorded over with new logs. That means if you wait too long to access this data, seriously valuable information to your 18-wheeler wreck claim could be lost forever. Making matters worse, in some states, the data recorded on a truck’s on-board computer is the sole property of the trucking company. That means they can immediately destroy the data after your wreck unless a court order prohibits them from doing so.
There is a wealth of knowledge located in the black box of the truck that hit you regarding your Texas semi-truck accident, but you must move quickly in order to attain it. It will be of the utmost importance that you have a qualified and experienced Texas truck accident attorney on your side to help you access this data and make sense of what it means to your Texas tractor-trailer wreck case.
If you need help with a Texas truck accident case, contact the personal injury attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm for a free case consultation. Our lawyers won’t let you be bullied by the trucking company responsible for your injuries. We can help you access the information on the truck’s on-board computer and use it to prove negligence in your 18-wheeler accident case. To meet with one of our top-rated truck wreck lawyers, call 817-294-1900.
