As insurance attorneys in Rapid City families trust, we help those injured in a car accident to receive the compensation they deserve for their injuries and damages. We typically get involved after an accident has taken place and can make sure that the insurance companies do not force you to accept a “lowball” settlement offer that does not compensate you for your damages. By working with you, reviewing your medical bills and wage loss documents, and working with the necessary accident reconstruction and/or medical experts, we can help to determine what amount will be required to address your injuries and damages both now and in the future.
Can an Event Data Recorder – sometimes referred to as a “black box” – influence my insurance claim?
While working on accident cases we deal with Event Data Recorders (“EDRs”, or “black boxes”). If you are unfamiliar with what these are, generally, they monitor and record certain information and data in a vehicle, similar to the black boxes found in airplanes. Beginning in 2014, new cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans less than 8,500 pounds are required to have one built in. EDRs often record what happens leading up to a car accident, such as throttle position, speed, velocity change, and brake application in the moments leading up to and during an accident. The data can then be accessed/downloaded after the collision in order to get an idea of what actually took place during the collision.
As insurance attorneys in Rapid City, we want to know what year your car was manufactured so that we can determine if an EDR was in your vehicle or the other party’s vehicle and whether information from the EDR can be retrieved. As with anything, the information may not tell the entire story, you still need an attorney to represent you.
EDRs often give a moment by moment account of various vehicle data in the moments leading up to and during the crash. Not only can such information often provide reliable information about the collision such as whether a person was speeding or not, but, sometimes, it can even tell if someone else was also in the car. This is an incredible level of information.
As insurance attorneys in Rapid City, we always recommend that you consider hiring an attorney instead of negotiating directly with the insurance company on your own. When it comes to cars with these “black boxes” or EDRs, the assistance of an attorney that is familiar with them becomes even more important. Data without context is still open for interpretation, and could be used by the other party or his/her insurance company to attempt to paint a different version of events than what you know occurred in the moments leading up to and during the accident. Ultimately, the complicated issues that can arise due to EDRs and “black boxes” in vehicles is simply another reason why it is a good idea to consult with an accident or injury attorney in Rapid City after you have been injured in a wreck.
