Can You Access “Black Box” Data After an Accident in Massachusetts?

Your car collects data about its activity, whether you know it or not. Accessing this data from a negligent driver’s car could make all the difference in your compensation claim so our attorneys can take the appropriate steps to obtain it in Massachusetts.

A car’s black box data can keep track of certain events, such as acceleration, deceleration, seat belt usage, airbag deployment, and even the force of impact. Black box data might provide information about whether or not a negligent driver’s headlights were in use or if they were driving far over the speed limit. To access this information from a negligent driver’s car, we may have to quickly get a court order. Car black boxes don’t store data indefinitely, so we can prioritize this in your case. The black box data from your vehicle may be important as well. It can show you were following traffic laws, had your seat belt on, were using your headlights, and were driving at a safe speed before an at-fault driver struck you in Massachusetts.

For a free case evaluation from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan, call our Massachusetts personal injury attorneys today at (617) 925-6407.

How Can Victims Access Black Box Data After Massachusetts Car Accidents?

Nearly all cars have black boxes, also known as event data recorders (EDRs), which store details about a vehicle’s recent operation and performance, as well as big events. Information derived from black boxes could indicate liability for an accident, so preserving data is crucial.

After an accident, our lawyers can ensure the black box data from your vehicle is preserved, along with any evidence of property damage, for accident reconstruction experts to review. In order to get the negligent driver’s black box data, we may need to get a court order. Prioritizing this is crucial; otherwise, the information could be deleted, as EDRs do not store data indefinitely. Fortunately, most passenger car black boxes store data for about a month, giving us ample time to preserve it after accidents. Waiting to contact our lawyers to get the appropriate court order to access a negligent driver’s EDR information could lead to its erasure. After that, the data would be lost, and you wouldn’t be able to use it to support your compensation claim.

Many victims are unaware their vehicles contain black boxes or any means to monitor and record major and minor events, like accidents. Our Boston car accident attorneys can consider this type of evidence and assess its relevance to your claim before it is potentially deleted or lost.

What Can Black Box Data Show After a Car Accident in Massachusetts?

Accessing and preserving relevant black box data is crucial, as it could give more insight into the collision’s events and what happened internally within each involved vehicle, particularly the negligent driver’s.

Black boxes in cars can provide a wealth of information about a vehicle’s activity before, during, and after a collision. For example, EDRs may record a vehicle’s acceleration and deceleration, indicating that they were tailgating the victim’s car before rear-ending them. Black boxes can show if a negligent driver applied their brakes at all before the accident in an attempt to mitigate the damage. It can also show if airbags deployed, indicating the severity of the crash, as well as the force of impact and the duration of the collision.

Electronic data records can also provide more details, such as if the at-fault driver’s headlights were in use, which could have contributed to the crash if it happened at night or during low visibility. We can analyze the information and compare it to the at-fault driver’s statements to find discrepancies that help your case. For example, suppose they claimed they were appropriately signaling turn during an accident, but the black box data shows no signs of turn signals being used right before. That could undermine the negligent driver’s defense, helping us prove their sole liability for your injuries and damages.

Our attorneys can look at the cumulative information from black boxes to reconstruct the accident’s events alongside experts. While black box data can be compelling, it does not win car accident lawsuits alone, so our lawyers will obtain additional evidence of fault, like eyewitness statements and photographs from the scene.

Why Should You Access Black Box Data from Your Car After a Massachusetts Accident?

While preserving black box data from the negligent driver’s vehicle may be a top priority, our lawyers will also review the EDR information from your car when preparing a case. This can help us directly address potential arguments of shared fault that could otherwise lower your compensation in Massachusetts.

For example, suppose the negligent driver or their insurance company contends you weren’t wearing a seat belt during the accident, as Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 90, § 13A requires. Since Massachusetts is a modified comparative fault, negligent drivers might argue that victims share fault for their injuries in some capacity. This could lead to victims’ damages being lowered proportionally to their liability or, when their fault outweighs another party’s, barred completely.

Our lawyers can refer to your vehicle’s black box data to address questions about your seat belt use or other actions before and during the crash. We can also use EDR records to confirm that you were following traffic rules at the time and to show the force of impact on your vehicle and the damage it sustained.

Preparing responses to possible comparative fault arguments with black box data from your vehicle can ensure we are ready for settlement negotiations when they arrive. Black box data coupled with accident reconstruction experts’ statements can be compelling leverage for victims to get fair out-of-court settlements or may convince juries of defendants’ negligence at trial, maximizing victims’ recoveries.

Call Our Lawyers About Your Car Accident Case in Massachusetts Today

For a free case assessment from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s Cambridge, MA car accident attorneys, call (617) 925-6407.