The truck driver told police he was going the speed limit when he rear-ended your car. He insisted there was nothing he could do to avoid the crash. But, inside that commercial vehicle sits a GPS tracking system that captured the truth.
At The Mottley Law Firm, our Richmond truck accident lawyers know how to obtain and analyze GPS data that trucking companies would prefer to keep hidden. This electronic evidence often contradicts driver statements and reveals violations of federal safety regulations that directly caused devastating crashes on Virginia highways.
What GPS Systems Record Before Truck Accidents
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require most interstate commercial truck drivers who must keep logbooks to use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) that automatically record driving time and related data. Limited exemptions exist, but many long-haul and other regulated commercial trucks on Virginia's highways carry these recording systems.
GPS and telematics systems can provide a detailed history of the truck's route and movements leading up to a crash.
Vehicle Speed
Speed and location data recorded at regular intervals and around key events like sudden braking can show whether the driver exceeded posted limits or drove too fast for conditions, which can support a reckless driving charge under Virginia Code § 46.2-861 and a civil claim for negligence.
Imagine a truck driver claims he was traveling at 55 mph when traffic suddenly stopped on I-64. GPS data shows he was actually traveling at 68 mph just seconds before impact. This discrepancy destroys the driver's credibility and shows he was going too fast for conditions.
Location Tracking
GPS coordinates show precisely where the truck traveled throughout the day, revealing route deviations or dangerous shortcuts that violate company policies.
Movement Patterns
Continuous driving during periods when logs claim rest breaks proves hours of service violations. This could support allegations of driver fatigue, which causes thousands of preventable truck accidents every year. FMCSA regulations strictly limit driving hours, but violations remain common when companies prioritize delivery schedules over safety.
GPS Evidence Combined With Other Electronic Data
Modern commercial vehicles often integrate GPS with other safety systems, creating comprehensive records. Emerging vehicle technologies continue to expand the types of data available to prove truck driver negligence and company liability in Virginia accident cases. Courts and juries consider GPS and ELD data along with other evidence.
Electronic Control Module Data
The truck's "black box" records speed, braking, and acceleration synchronized with location data, showing what the driver did in the seconds before impact.
Cell Phone Records
Subpoenaed phone data showing calls or texts at specific locations and times can help prove the driver was distracted, violating laws prohibiting handheld phone use.
Forward-Facing Camera Footage
Dashcam video recordings that are time-stamped and GPS-tagged can show what the driver could see and when. This helps establish whether he had adequate time to avoid the collision.
How Truck Accident Attorneys Obtain GPS Data
Trucking companies don't voluntarily provide GPS data that proves their drivers caused an accident. Getting this evidence requires immediate legal action and knowledge of federal preservation requirements.
Within hours after learning about an accident, experienced attorneys send spoliation letters to trucking companies, GPS vendors, and insurers. These legal notices create a duty to preserve all electronic evidence under Virginia law and federal regulations.
GPS information may exist in multiple locations, including the truck's onboard system, the trucking company's fleet management platform, and third-party GPS vendors. FMCSA regulations require carriers to maintain ELD records for six months, but GPS vendors often keep data for much shorter periods unless legally required to preserve it.
When trucking companies resist providing GPS data or claim it was "automatically deleted," the jury may presume the destroyed evidence proved facts unfavorable to the company that destroyed it.
GPS Data to Counter Contributory Negligence Defenses
Virginia's harsh pure contributory negligence rule bars recovery if you're found even 1% at fault for the accident. Under this common-law doctrine, any fault on your part can completely defeat your claim, with narrow exceptions. Trucking companies use this defense aggressively, but GPS data often helps defeat their blame-shifting tactics.
When defense attorneys claim you were speeding, changed lanes unsafely, or braked suddenly without reason, GPS data from the truck can help show the driver was traveling too fast, following too close, or failed to maintain proper lookout.