What Do Electronic Logging Devices Mean for Your Truck Accident Claim?

Truck accidents can be devastating to victims, often leaving them with tens of thousands of dollars in medical debt and a totaled vehicle. The process of fighting for compensation can seem overwhelming, but it’s not impossible—especially with the help of an electronic logging device and a committed attorney.

Ready to fight for everything you deserve? It’s time to talk to the team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman. Call us at 866-565-4949 to set up a consultation with our team now.

Electronic Logging Device Requirements

Electronic logging devices are mandatory on commercial vehicles that are utilized by drivers who must abide by hours-of-service requirements. The FMCSA set this requirement in order to decrease hours-of-service violations and make the roads safer for everyone.

Although there are exceptions to this requirement, including for vehicles manufactured prior to 2000, the vast majority of commercial trucks must have electronic logging devices. In the past, drivers were able to use paper logbooks to track information on start times, end times, mileage, and break times. It’s easy to falsify paper documentation, which is one reason the FMCSA began requiring electronic logging.

Evidence Provided by ELDs

This is good news for victims of truck driving accidents. Electronic logging devices gather a wide range of information, and much of it can be useful in a truck accident claim. It regularly tracks the date, time, location of the truck, engine hours, mileage, and driver information.

However, many electronic logging devices do not stop there. They track additional information that can help trucking companies and clients track unsafe driving behavior. Some electronic logging devices track unsafe driving events, such as sudden braking, rapid acceleration, swerving, and fast turns. This type of information is obviously useful in a truck accident claim, as it may show that a driver has a track record of driving negligently or unsafely.

Beyond that, electronic logging devices also have information on maintenance requirements. They may track when fault codes are activated and when trucks hit a mileage milestone that requires maintenance. This may be helpful if the accident was caused by an unsafe truck or malfunctioning component.

Using an ELD in Your Truck Accident Claim

A skilled truck accident attorney will know how to use this data in an accident claim. Note that you can’t simply access the ELD data; you need someone with the right tools to do so. This is just one reason you will want an attorney representing you during your claim. Your attorney may use the data from the ELD in a variety of ways, depending on how the accident happened and what other evidence is available.

If your account of the accident and the driver’s story are wildly different, it’s important to figure out the truth. The ELD can help sort that out. For example, if a driver claims that you drove into their lane and struck them, but you say that they hit you while drifting, your attorney may look at the ELD data. If it shows the driver repeatedly swerving or jerking back into their own lane, that’s a good indication that they have a habit of driving unsafely and not staying in their own lane.

Perhaps there’s evidence that the driver was fatigued at the time of the crash. In this situation, the attorney may want to look at the truck’s hours-of-service logs. If it shows that the driver failed to take proper breaks, drove longer than they were permitted, or got back on the road before they were allowed to do so, that’s a big issue. That’s a common cause of driver fatigue and truck driver accidents.

In many situations, the data from an ELD is used to back up or verify information gathered from other pieces of evidence. Remember, the stronger your case is overall, the easier it is to fight for fair compensation.

Contact Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman—We’re Here to Help

Ready to sit down, talk about your accident, and take the next step in your claim? So are we. Call Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman at 866-565-4949 or reach out to our team online to schedule a consultation now. You don’t have to take on the trucking company by yourself.