What Every Crash Victim Needs to Know About Truck Technology

Today’s big trucks are complex machines filled with sensors, cameras, and tracking devices. Companies use these tools to track their drivers, but an experienced truck accident lawyer knows that the data from these devices can also identify the exact causes of a crash.

In this article, we’ll explain how the experienced team at Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys uses truck technology to fight for our clients after a wreck.

Telematics Technology Tracks Modern 18-Wheelers’ Every Move

Trucking companies tend to focus on profits and efficiencies. To help them look for ways they can become more efficient, these companies install a variety of electronics in their vehicles to track driving behaviors, speed, location, and other metrics. These systems, which are called telematics, combine cameras, sensors, GPS systems, and cellular antennas to monitor a truck’s every move.

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While not every company has adopted these technologies, they’re increasingly common. Telematics technology also has applications outside the trucking industry. For example, many delivery drivers have some form of tracking device in their vehicles, whether they’re delivering pizzas or your Amazon order.

A Knowledgeable Alabama Injury Lawyer Can Use Truck Technology to Your Advantage

Most truck accident claims depend on negligence, which means the victim must prove:

• The driver or other party owed the victim a duty of care, like an obligation to drive attentively and follow Alabama’s driving laws
• The other driver violated this duty and caused the victim’s injuries
• The victim suffered damages due to their injuries, such as lost income and pain and suffering

Often, it’s hard to pinpoint the cause of an accident, and victims can get caught up in a battle of “he said, she said.”

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Telematics data can provide valuable evidence in these cases, offering an experienced truck accident lawyer a remarkable amount of insight into a truck driver’s behavior and the truck’s mechanical systems. Our experts often use telematics data to identify:

• Speeding and hard braking
• Tailgating and other reckless behaviors
• Veering and sudden lane changes
• Driver distraction and fatigue
• Mechanical problems and improper maintenance
• Violations of company policies and federal regulations

According to crash data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), one or more of these factors play a role in most truck wrecks.

When your lawyer can show that a truck driver was reckless, distracted, improperly trained, or driving an unsafe vehicle, it significantly strengthens your claims and the value of your case.

After a Truck Accident, the Company May Try to Hide Their Truck Data

You’ll never see a company or truck driver voluntarily hand over their telematics data. Trucking companies understand that, in the right hands, this information can increase the value of a truck accident claim and provide persuasive evidence of negligence. Unless your attorney takes steps to preserve this data, the trucking company will keep it buried or even destroy it.

If you wait too long to consult a lawyer or try to negotiate a personal injury settlement on your own, you might lose valuable evidence that links the truck driver or their employer to your injuries. For example, trucking companies only need to retain a driver’s electronic logbooks for six months. After that, most companies will quickly destroy these records unless an attorney preserves them.

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At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we work to protect telematics data and other important trucking company information like logbooks, inspection records, and personnel files. We also consult with respected experts, including doctors, accident reconstruction specialists, and engineers, looking for evidence that links at-fault parties to our clients’ injuries.

Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys: Cutting-Edge Strategies for Truck Accident Victims in Alabama

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a truck accident, you deserve answers and fair compensation. However, you also need to act quickly to preserve telematics data and other valuable evidence.

At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we use aggressive legal strategies to stand up to insurance companies and demand justice for our clients. To schedule your free consultation, complete our convenient online contact form or call us at 251-888-8888.

Reference

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2007, July). The large truck crash causation study – Analysis brief Publication no. FMCSA-RRA-07-017). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved from https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-crash-causation-study-analysis-brief