In the coming months, an Allegheny County judge will decide whether the attorneys in a car accident case can present information from the car's electronic data recorder. To date, there has been no ruling on a similar issue in Pennsylvania, which means that the judge's decision could affect many criminal cases and personal injury lawsuits filed in the state.

According to court documents, the case was filed following a fatal car accident that took place February 2010. The accounts of the incident vary, but police believe that the driver lost control of his vehicle and hit a guardrail. The car then launched over a snow pile, flew 40 feet in the air, and rolled several times down an embankment.

The accident resulted in the deaths of the vehicle's three passengers. The driver survived and was later charged with 11 criminal counts in connection with the accident.

In the criminal case against the man, prosecutors stated that the car's electronic data recorder, more commonly known as a 'black box,' had indicated that the vehicle was traveling more than 100 miles per hour just prior to the fatal crash.

The defendant's attorney objected, arguing that black boxes in cars record speed and engine activity for the five second period before a car's air bags deploy. Therefore, it likely recorded the high speed as the car flew through the air with its wheels spinning.

With no prior decision on this issue, the judge presiding over the case requested additional information on the reliability and accuracy of electronic data recorders. Regardless of the final decision, it is likely that this case will set a significant precedent for future car accident cases in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Ruling delayed in fatal Parkway West wreck," Bobby Kerlik, Feb. 9, 2012