Modern technology can help improve safety in traffic. There are devices that can prevent drivers from exceeding certain speeds that companies can install in fleet vehicles. There are logging devices installed in trucks that track how long drivers are on the road to prevent drowsy driving.
Dashboard cameras have also become relatively common in recent years. Plenty of individuals put dashboard cameras in their vehicles to protect themselves if a crash occurs. Commercial transportation companies also use dashboard cameras to limit organizational liability.
Many companies use a combination of forward-facing and rear-facing dashboard cameras to help clarify who was at fault should a crash occur. While the law does not require semi-truck dashboard cameras, they have become relatively common. If someone involved in a semi-truck collision notices a dashboard camera in the commercial truck, the footage it recorded could help strengthen their compensation claim later.
Either party could make use of the footage
The recordings captured immediately prior to, during and after a collision can make it clear who caused the crash and how. For example, the rear-facing camera in a semi-truck might show that a driver was in the middle of a meal at the wheel or had their eyes down at their lap, possibly because they received a text message. The footage recorded can help show exactly what a driver did before a crash and how they responded to the imminent threat of a collision.
The forward-facing camera could show that the driver of the smaller vehicle obeyed traffic laws or that the semi-truck veered into an oncoming lane of traffic because the driver fell asleep or let go of the wheel. The trucking company could use footage to prove that the driver was not at fault.
If the driver did make a mistake, the transportation company usually needs to provide the footage of the crash to law enforcement authorities and to the lawyer representing the injured party after the collision. The footage of the crash itself or the moments right before or after the collision could help validate a motorist’s claims that the semi-truck driver was at fault. They may then be in a better position to negotiate with an insurance provider or pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
Seeking dashboard camera footage can be an important move for those affected by a semi-truck collision. The more evidence there is regarding who is at fault, the more straightforward it may be to pursue compensation after a wreck.