The Role of Black Box Data in Car Accident Claims

You may have heard of black boxes on airplanes and ships being used to piece together how an accident occurred – but many drivers don’t know that modern cars now have these data-capturing devices, as well. Black box data could provide vital information to support your car accident injury claim in New Jersey. Make sure to speak with a car accident attorney in New Jersey for legal guidance.

How Is Fault Determined for a New Jersey Car Accident?

In New Jersey, liability or financial responsibility for a car accident is determined by the type of insurance held by the victim. New Jersey is a “choice no-fault” state, meaning drivers can decide whether to purchase fault or no-fault policies. In addition, drivers can choose between limited right to sue and unlimited right to sue coverage.

If a victim suffers a significant injury in a car accident, he or she can generally take legal action against the at-fault driver regardless of no-fault insurance. This will require an investigation into the cause of the crash and who is responsible. However, with minor to moderate injuries, suing the at-fault party is only possible with unlimited right to sue insurance.

What Is Black Box Data?

A black box is an electronic data recorder (EDR) that exists in most new cars from 2014 on. It automatically records certain information about a vehicle’s operation and status. This information can include the vehicle’s speed, acceleration and braking, steering, seat belt usage, and whether the airbags deployed.

What Can Black Box Data Show?

Data extracted from a motor vehicle’s black box after a car accident can provide key details of what happened in the moments leading up to the crash. This includes information such as whether the driver of the car was driving too fast for conditions (speeding), accelerated suddenly, failed to steer properly or made other errors.

A black box can also show whether or not the driver hit the brakes and attempted to stop before the accident – potentially proving that the driver was distracted, intoxicated or asleep. Finally, it can record the force of the impact to demonstrate the severity of the collision, potentially correlating to injuries claimed by the victim.

How to Use a Black Box to Support Your Car Accident Claim in New Jersey

If you are in a position where you need to establish that the other driver involved in your car accident is at fault, black box data can prove invaluable as a key source of evidence to support your claim. Black box data is factual and unbiased; it can provide indisputable evidence against the other driver. It can also help you prove the seriousness of your injuries.

Extracting black box data requires special equipment. This small device is typically located behind the steering wheel of the car. If you are attempting to access black box data from the other driver’s vehicle, you will need that driver’s permission. In most cases, crash victims hire car accident attorneys to collect this data for them.

When You Should Contact a Lawyer

If you have a complex car accident case in New Jersey, such as one where liability is disputed or an insurance company is attempting to blame you for the crash, it is in your best interests to contact a New  Jersey personal injury attorney for advice and assistance.

If your attorney believes that black box data from either vehicle could help your case, the law firm will take the appropriate steps to extract and preserve this information. If you wish to talk to a car accident lawyer about your specific case, contact us for a free consultation.