More vehicles than ever now support Event Data Recorder (EDR) downloads, giving investigators rapid access to objective pre and post‑crash data that clarifies what happened, when, and why. For insurers and legal teams, this means earlier certainty on speed, braking, steering inputs and seatbelt status, strengthening decisions on causation and liability at a point they matter most.
At TRL, our entire Forensic Investigations team are trained to identify, download and preserve this data. Our digital data experts can also provide a detailed interpretation of EDR data across a wide range of makes and models. In practice, this provides a more accurate reconstruction, narrows disputes, and reduces the risk of costly, late-stage surprises. When combined with sources such as CCTV, scene evidence and vehicle inspections, EDR provides a defensible, cross‑validated account of events that supports robust expert conclusions. When used in combination with physical evidence from the scene, or other digital data such as video, it can provide incredibly useful insights. Its use in insurance fraud cases is also well established and we have conducted numerous fraud investigations using EDR data to enable insurers to protect their clients.
There is a need to secure EDR data before vehicles are disposed of. With storage costs rising, salvage decisions are understandably happening earlier. This valuable evidence can be lost within days. The practical solution is straightforward: where appropriate, the relevant control modules (often the airbag module) can be removed and retained for later analysis, even before a personal injury claim is notified. They are about the size of a paperback book, so pose no issues in terms of storage cost. By securing the module, this preserves evidential integrity, protects insurers, and ensures accurate, reliable data remains available.
How this helps in a claims process:
- Faster, objective insight into driver behaviour, vehicle speed, and vehicle dynamics.
- Stronger basis for discussions about causation and liability, including determining whether there may be a case for contributory negligence.
- Reduced risk of evidential gaps that invite challenge.
- Practical mitigation of storage pressures without sacrificing evidence.
What good looks like:
- Early triage to confirm vehicle support for EDR downloads.
- Prompt preservation, including module removal where disposal is imminent.
- Chain-of-custody documentation to ensure integrity.
- Integrated analysis alongside CCTV, scene measurements and mechanical inspection.
TRL’s digital data experts can assist with all of these steps. The outcome is clearer, earlier decision-making. Claims handlers can progress liability with much more confidence, and lawyer can undertake a more reliable assessment of a case’s prospects. For expert witnesses, it means they can provide the Court with an objective, evidence‑led reconstruction rather than competing narratives. If you have a vehicle in scope for download (increasing numbers of vehicles are), early advice is key. Our team can confirm support, secure the data, and integrate it with other sources to deliver a clear, defensible picture of events.
If you are new to the potential of EDR, please read our previous series of blogs exploring how this data can be used in many ways for reinforcing decisions on causation and determining liability.
- Event Data Recorders – Forensic Investigations
- Using EDR data to explain Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) events – Forensic Investigations
- When is EDR data useful? – Forensic Investigations
- Event data recorders: Uncovering the hidden data in vehicles – Forensic Investigations
Case review with legal team and TRL investigators reviewing data from an EDR.
