After a truck accident, having the right evidence is the most important part of getting the compensation you’re entitled to for your injuries and losses. Physical evidence, like skid marks, dash cam footage, or damaged property, can help tell what actually happened, but there’s other evidence that you may not be as familiar with – electronic logging devices (ELDs).
If you’ve been injured in a crash involving a commercial truck, contact Vaughan & Vaughan today. Our Indianapolis truck accident lawyers can review your case, preserve critical ELD data, and fight to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
What Exactly is an ELD?
An Electronic Logging Device is a digital tool used by commercial truck and bus drivers to track their working hours automatically. These devices record when a driver starts and stops working, note how long a vehicle is driven, and store its location using GPS. ELDs also keep track of important points like when a vehicle’s engine turns on or off, when a driver logs in or out, and they log any errors or mechanical issues the system notices.
Everything the driver or company edits gets saved as well. This means if someone changes the logs, the ELD records exactly what was changed, who made the change, when they did it, and the reason for it. This technology helps keep driving hours accurate and transparent for everyone involved.
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The Attention It Deserves
Why ELD Evidence Matters in Truck Accident Cases
After a truck crash, evidence can make or break your case. ELDs help for so many reasons, including:
Shows When the Driver Was Too Tired To Be Safe
Truck drivers must follow strict hours-of-service rules designed to prevent fatigue. ELDs track how long a driver spends behind the wheel. They record if drivers took required breaks, tried to split their rest to skirt the rules, or powered through shifts for far too many hours. This makes it much easier to prove if the driver was exhausted and shouldn’t have been driving at the time of the accident.
Maps Timing and Movement
ELD data gives a second-by-second record of where the truck was and how fast it was going before the crash. By examining these logs, you figure out timelines and see if the driver sped up, slowed down suddenly, or drifted from their route. This traceable timeline can clear up doubts about what happened before the accident.
Fact Checks Stories and Official Reports
Sometimes what’s said by the drivers or in police reports differs from reality. ELD data can agree with or contradict their version of events. When witness accounts and official versions don’t line up with the data, lawyers can catch this and use it to build your case.
How Your Lawyer Preserves ELD Data after a Collision
When a crash involves a commercial truck, lawyers move fast to preserve important digital evidence from the truck’s devices. Here’s how an attorney protects information from the ELD from being destroyed or altered.
Sends Immediate Spoliation Letters
Your lawyer quickly sends formal letters telling the trucking company, the truck driver, the tow company, and ELD provider not to delete, reset, or tamper with any potential evidence. These notices put everyone on legal notice. If evidence disappears, they may face trouble in court.
Demands Raw Data and Edit History
A simple summary or printout of hours isn’t enough. Your lawyer asks for the raw files from the ELD, including every version of records, edits made, and logs showing who changed what and when. They may also want technical documents from the ELD manufacturer proving the system’s reliability.
Obtains Black Box Data and Dash cam To Compare Timing
Trucks often have more than one device recording the trip – this could be the ELD, “black box,” or dash cam, for example. Your lawyer works to gather data from all these sources and check time stamps to make sure everything lines up, creating a clearer picture.
Contact An Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer From Vaughan & Vaughan
If you’re dealing with injuries and confusing insurance situations after a truck accident, you need as much evidence as possible. Let an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer help you so you don’t have to handle these confusing situations on your own. Call us or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation with an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer.
