Unusual Sources of Evidence for Pennsylvania Injury Claims: Drones, Vehicle Black Boxes and More


Despite safer cars and improved trauma care, Pennsylvania roads remain hazardous places. Traffic fatality statistics reflect the ongoing risks. In 2019, deaths dropped to 1,059, the lowest since 1928’s record-keeping began. Yet in 2020, even with less traffic, fatalities rose to 1,129 and in 2021 to 1,230. Finally, in 2022, the trend reversed with a 4% decline to 1,179. But clearly, dangers still lurk on Pennsylvania highways and byways.

When you or a loved one suffers an injury in a Pennsylvania accident, building a strong personal injury claim requires collecting solid evidence. Traditionally, evidence comes from police reports, medical records, eyewitness statements, photographs, and more. But today’s technology offers new options for gathering powerful proof to support your case. Drones, vehicle black boxes, cell phones, and even fitness trackers can provide invaluable insights after a crash.

Understanding these less conventional sources of evidence allows you to build the strongest possible claim for full compensation.

The Rise of Drone Videos as Evidence

In recent years, dramatic videos from drone cameras have become a game-changer in injury cases. Drones allow plaintiff attorneys to reconstruct accident scenes from unique aerial angles unavailable before. Judges and juries get an immersive, bird’s-eye view that brings the incident to life like never before.

Plaintiff’s attorneys are increasingly hiring professional drone operators to recreate accidents at the original site. Videos vividly depict how the collision occurred, along with important details about road conditions, sight lines, signage, and more. Drones can also capture the scale of property damage from all sides of vehicles.

Videos speak volumes to judges and juries. In many cases, a single drone video delivers the evidence needed to overcome disputes over liability. Defendants often relent when faced with such clear-cut documentation. Drones have proven especially powerful for reconstructing tricky accidents like multi-vehicle collisions or wrecks with poor ground-level visibility.

Vehicle Black Boxes Offer Critical Crash Data

Today’s vehicles contain sophisticated computers that monitor operations. Event data recorders (EDRs), better known as black boxes, have become pivotal sources of evidence after crashes. All vehicles manufactured since 2014 are legally required to have them.

EDRs record key data like vehicle speed, brake application, seatbelt use and airbag deployment in the seconds before impact. This objective, factual information can prove invaluable for determining causes. Black box reports provide far more reliable speed estimates than eyewitness guesses or even police calculations.

EDR evidence helps overcome disputes over which driver was speeding or who ran a red light. Defendants often claim they’re not at fault without strong contradictory proof. A black box report makes it nearly impossible to deny culpability.

Plaintiff attorneys routinely hire crash reconstruction experts to download and interpret black box findings. There are legal procedures to follow for evidence preservation and chain of custody. The small upfront cost is well worth it for the insights gained.

Cell Phone Location Data and Texts

Cell phones offer additional new forms of evidence for accident claims. Call and texting records can be subpoenaed from wireless providers with a court order. The history of calls and texts made before, during, or after an accident can provide important context.

Cell phones also continually track users’ locations, which can pinpoint where someone was at the time of an incident. Location data reveals if a driver was distracted or rushing. It can also confirm eyewitness timelines.

Photos, videos, and social media posts made with cell phones often surface as evidence too. For example, a driver’s Facebook posts made right before an accident might demonstrate negligence or recklessness if they were using the phone behind the wheel.

Fitness Trackers Monitor Physical Effects

Wearable fitness trackers have become another tech tool for evidence. If you were wearing a device like a Fitbit when injured, the data can objectively document physical effects.

Metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and activity levels are tracked over time. Changes can demonstrate the real physical harm caused by an injury, strengthening damages claims. Stress levels may spike immediately after an accident too.

Defense attorneys often try to downplay injuries as preexisting or exaggerated. But data showing dramatic post-accident changes in sleep, activity, heart rate, and stress makes the harm undeniably real.

Act Soon to Preserve Evidence

Crash data, videos, phone records and other digital evidence are perishable. Each type has optimal windows for collection based on technology limitations.

Acting swiftly allows the best chance of gathering all possible proof to support your injury claim. An experienced personal injury attorney knows how to secure technology-based evidence from every available source.

Turn Unusual Evidence into Fair Compensation

Technology creates new possibilities for evidence, but collecting it takes specialized legal knowledge. The attorneys at Monge and Associates have a proven track record of leveraging technology to build powerful claims after life-altering Pennsylvania accidents. We fight relentlessly to help clients recover fair compensation for all losses suffered.

Don’t leave money on the table by overlooking new forms of evidence. Let our tech-savvy legal team help you secure the compensation you deserve. The future of evidence is now – act today to protect your rights.

Contact us today – we have offices in 32 locations and 19 states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Colorado.

Alternatively, call now for a free consultation on (888) 477-0597.