Semi trucks are responsible for transporting loads of consumer goods across the country. Whenever passenger vehicles and large semi trucks share the roadway, the potential for a serious accident exists. 

Since most semi truck drivers are classified as commercial employees, you may have a hard time obtaining information from the trucking company following your accident. Your lawyer can subpoena the black box from the truck involved in your accident to help you prove you are entitled to financial compensation.

Driving Hours Logged

Semi truck drivers operate on very strict timelines. Any time they are not on the road, they are losing money. To prevent drivers from operating a semi truck while they are fatigued in an effort to reduce operating costs, the government has instituted driving hour limits.

The number of hours that a driver is behind the wheel is tracked by the black box in the rig. Once your attorney has gained access to the black box, you can determine if the driver of the truck involved in your accident was following driving hour regulations. If the driver was over hours at the time of the accident, this is enough evidence to prove negligence.

Use of Brakes

A car accident can occur so quickly that you don't have time to take note of the circumstances that led to the accident. This is where a black box can come in handy. The black box records the movements of the truck.

Any pressure that is applied to the brake pedal is recorded by the black box. You can review the data collected by the black box with your attorney to determine whether or not the driver applied the brakes prior to the accident. This information can help you determine whether or not the driver was distracted when the collision occurred.

Truck Speed

Semi trucks often have a different speed limit than passenger vehicles. The higher profile of a semi can make it more susceptible to wind and other elements, so the reduction in speed is designed to help keep semi truck drivers safe. Unfortunately, some drivers choose not to adhere to posted speed limits.

The speed at which the truck is traveling at the time of impact can be recorded by the black box. You will also be able to obtain information regarding truck speed in the minutes leading up to the accident. This information will help you prove that the driver was acting carelessly by driving over the speed limit.