Replies

It is not just GM cars. We recently had a case here where the "black box" provided information to prove that two policemen were lying. It was in a Ford.

I would be willing to bet that all cars that have air bags have these recorders. They were put in originally to protect the car companies against claims that the air-bag either failed to deploy during an accident or that it deployed too soon, causing the accident. Just that information alone was not enough to stand up in court. All the surrounding information was needed.

One thing that has been pointed out (but some people are ignoring) is that it only lasts for 5 seconds and then is recorded over. If it ACCURATELY records what is happening in the 5 seconds before an accident violent enough to cause the air bags to go off, that is OK by me. I figure I have a better chance proving that I was NOT breaking the law than someone else has proving I WAS breaking the law.

It would have helped several years back when my car was hit by a driver who ran a red light. Although he had several accidents against him, no insurance, and a suspended license, the judge ruled that none of that could be brought up in court. And, he lied, lied, lied when he was on the stand. I had to collect from MY insurance. He never paid a dime.

I am truly sorry for your troubles with your court case. It goes to show that a little help from an electronic surveillance device can go a long way in *helping* those that are in the right.

That said, I'm intrigued by your opening story where a *Ford's* device helped a case involving two lying police officers.

The posted article had one of Ford's mouthpieces stating that his company would *never* "spy" on their customers. Truly a sparkling testimonial to make GM look bad when all the while he was lying through his teeth.

Priceless.

"Although he had several accidents against him, no insurance, and a suspended license, the judge ruled that none of that could be brought up in court."

As frustrating as that seems, that was the correct legal ruling. Prior bad acts are not admissible in a civil case to show that the defendant acted in the same manner in an earlier instance.