Every modern vehicle records the seconds before a crash. We use certified Bosch CDR equipment to extract that data, document the chain of custody, and produce reports that hold up under Daubert scrutiny.
Request a RetrievalEvent Data Recorders — sometimes called "automotive black boxes" — are mandatory in nearly every passenger vehicle sold in the U.S. since model year 2014. When the airbag system senses a deployment-level or near-deployment event, the EDR captures a continuous record of vehicle dynamics for the seconds leading up to and following impact.
That data is unbiased, time-stamped, and recorded by the vehicle itself — independent of any driver or eyewitness recollection. In personal injury, product liability, and trucking litigation, it's often the most decisive evidence in the file.
Pre-impact speed answers the threshold question in nearly every motor-vehicle case. Eyewitnesses are unreliable; the EDR isn't.
Brake and throttle data establish whether a driver attempted to stop, accelerated into impact, or was distracted. These data points reshape causation theories.
Seatbelt status and airbag timing support — or undermine — comparative negligence defenses and product-defect claims.
Daubert resilience. Bosch CDR retrieval is the industry standard. When the methodology is challenged, the answer is "we used the same tool law enforcement and the manufacturer use."
Most light-duty passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. since the mid-2000s are supported. Commercial vehicles, heavy trucks, and many motorcycles have their own data systems we can also work with.
Speed, throttle position, engine RPM, brake application, and steering inputs in the seconds before impact.
The change in velocity during the crash event — a quantified measure of severity that supports biomechanical analysis.
Seatbelt buckle status for each occupant position and pretensioner deployment status.
Exact millisecond timing of frontal, side, and curtain airbag deployments, including suppression status.
When the vehicle experiences multiple impacts (rollover, secondary collision), each event is captured separately.
ABS, ESC, and traction-control activation status — useful in roadway conditions and product-defect cases.
Time-sensitive. EDR data can be overwritten by subsequent ignition cycles or lost if the vehicle is repaired, salvaged, or scrapped. The earlier in the case timeline we extract, the higher the recovery likelihood. We can retrieve from a vehicle in our facility or arrange field retrieval at a tow yard, body shop, or storage facility.
Every retrieval follows the same documented protocol, with chain-of-custody recorded at each step. The result is a report your expert can defend and a dataset opposing counsel can't dismiss.
You confirm the engagement and provide vehicle location and access authorization. We arrange the retrieval window — at our facility, your client's location, or wherever the vehicle is held.
On site, we photograph the vehicle, VIN, odometer, and EDR connection point before any data is touched. Every step from arrival through disconnect is logged.
We use the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) tool — the industry-standard hardware and software used by law enforcement, NHTSA, and the manufacturers themselves. The raw download is hashed and archived in unmodified form.
You receive the raw CDR report plus an interpretive narrative tying the data to the case timeline. Includes our chain-of-custody log and CV of the technician who performed the retrieval.
If the case advances to deposition or trial, we provide expert witness testimony on the retrieval methodology and findings. Our process is built to withstand cross-examination on the first try.
The window for clean retrieval narrows the longer the vehicle sits. Reach out and we'll quote a flat-rate retrieval based on vehicle, location, and turnaround — typically within 24 hours of inquiry.