Garrett Forensics

Garrett Forensics · Since 1971

Vehicle Digital Forensics & Accident Causation Experts

Modern vehicles record a remarkable amount of evidence. Our certified vehicle digital forensics experts recover and interpret data from event data recorders (EDRs), infotainment systems, telematics units, GPS modules, Bluetooth connections and onboard control modules to establish exactly what happened before, during and after a crash — and to determine accident causation with scientific precision.

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Certified EDR Analysts Bosch CDR Trained Trusted since 1971

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Your Vehicle Is a Witness — We Make It Talk

When liability is disputed, injuries don't match the impact, or a claim doesn't add up, the answers are often stored inside the vehicle itself. As an automotive forensic expert team, we extract and analyze the digital evidence that vehicles generate every time they operate. Our independent, objective findings help attorneys and insurers settle claims, resolve disputes, and prevail in litigated matters that require a credible vehicle forensic expert witness.

Event Data Recorders (EDR) Infotainment Forensics Telematics GPS & Navigation Data Bluetooth & Connected Devices Control Module Data
Vehicle collision scene under forensic accident investigation

What Vehicle Data Can Reveal

A single collision can leave behind dozens of recoverable data points. Through vehicle data extraction and forensic analysis, our experts reconstruct the sequence of events from the digital record — not assumptions. Below is the kind of evidence we routinely recover and interpret.

Data SourceWhat It Can Reveal
Event Data Recorder (EDR / "black box")Pre- and post-crash speed, throttle percentage, brake application, steering input, seatbelt use, change in velocity (delta-V) and time between events.
Infotainment / head unitPaired Bluetooth devices, call logs, recent GPS destinations, navigation history, door openings, gear shifts and connected-device identifiers.
Telematics & connected-vehicle systemsTrip logs, location traces, hard-braking and acceleration events, and time-stamped vehicle activity transmitted to the manufacturer or service provider.
GPS & navigation modulesWhere the vehicle actually traveled, calculated speed, route history and the date/time of each recorded position.
Control modules (ABS, stability, airbag, PCS)Antilock braking, traction and stability-control events, and advanced safety-system (e.g., pre-collision) activations.

Together, these sources answer the questions that decide cases: How fast was the vehicle traveling? Were the brakes applied? Was the vehicle actually struck while parked? Did the crash happen where the parties claim it did?

Not sure what evidence your vehicle is holding? Let our experts find out.

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Infotainment System Forensics

Infotainment forensic analysis is one of the fastest-growing and most revealing areas of vehicle digital forensics. The same head unit that plays music and pairs a phone also quietly logs connected devices, locations and user activity. Our vehicle infotainment data extraction recovers that record and turns it into admissible, well-documented evidence.

What the infotainment system can record

  • Unique identifiers for connected phones, tablets, headphones and USB devices
  • Call logs, contact lists, SMS messages and emails synced to the vehicle
  • Photos, videos and social-media data transferred to the system
  • Door openings, transmission shifts, hard accelerations and stability-control events
  • GPS data — recent destinations, favorite locations and full navigation history, with calculated speed and date/time

Questions infotainment data can answer

  • Was the driver's phone connected via Bluetooth when the vehicle was allegedly stolen?
  • Was the vehicle actually struck while parked?
  • Was the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run?
  • Did the accident happen in the location the parties claim?
  • What are the exact GPS locations the vehicle traveled to?

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Event Data Recorder (Black Box) Analysis

When an airbag deploys, the vehicle's Event Data Recorder may capture exactly what was happening in the critical seconds around impact. As certified vehicle black box data experts, we pair event data recorder accident reconstruction with certified downloads to establish crash causation.

Vehicle event data recorder (black box) module download and analysis

Certified, court-ready downloads

Our experts have completed the authorized Bosch CDR Technician Course and use Bosch Crash Data Retrieval equipment to download data directly from the insured's or claimant's vehicle. Our Certified EDR Analysts then interpret that data alongside photographs, police reports, witness statements and repair estimates to determine what really happened.

What an EDR download can establish

  • Vehicle speed in the final seconds before impact
  • Whether and when the brakes were applied
  • Throttle percentage and acceleration
  • Seatbelt status for occupants
  • Steering and avoidance maneuvers
  • Evidence in unwanted-acceleration and struck-while-parked disputes
Sample Certified EDR analysis report from Garrett Forensics
A sample of our Certified EDR analysis reporting.

Toyota / Lexus Vehicle Control History (VCH)

Separate from the EDR, Toyota and Lexus vehicles may store Vehicle Control History data based on driver inputs such as hard acceleration or braking and the activation of systems like ABS, traction control (TRAC), vehicle stability control (VSC) and the pre-collision system (PCS). First equipped on the 2013 Toyota RAV4, later models — with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) — may also store PCS operational and image data. We recover and interpret these additional records where they exist.

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Telematics & GPS Evidence

Today's connected vehicles continuously generate location and activity data. Vehicle telematics forensic analysis and GPS data accident investigation let us place a vehicle in time and space — corroborating or contradicting the account on the police report.

Location & route history

Recover where the vehicle actually traveled, recent destinations and saved locations, each tied to a precise timestamp.

Speed & driving behavior

GPS-calculated speed, hard-braking and acceleration events that help establish how the vehicle was being operated.

Timeline corroboration

Independent, time-stamped evidence to confirm whether a collision occurred where and when the parties claim.

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Expert witness testimony presented in court

Expert Witness Services for Attorneys & Insurers

Recovering the data is only half the job. As digital vehicle evidence expert witnesses, we translate complex technical findings into clear, defensible conclusions — in reports, depositions and testimony at trial.

For Attorneys & Law Firms

Whether you are pursuing or defending a claim, our forensic vehicle data expert witnesses provide independent analysis, written reports and credible courtroom testimony. We support personal injury, wrongful death and disputed-liability litigation with evidence that stands up to cross-examination.

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For Insurers & SIU Teams

As insurance accident causation experts and vehicle claim investigation experts, we help carriers and special investigation units determine what really happened, mitigate fraud, and resolve questionable claims. Trusted by carriers including Sentry Insurance, the Auto Club of Southern California and Farmers Insurance Group.

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Case Types We Support

Our accident reconstruction expert witnesses and crash causation experts apply vehicle digital forensics across a wide range of matters.

Auto Accidents

Single- and multi-vehicle collisions where speed, braking and impact dynamics are in question.

Disputed Liability

Cases where each party tells a different story and the digital record settles which account the evidence supports.

Fraud & Staged Loss

Suspected staged accidents, exaggerated injuries, struck-while-parked and false theft claims.

Wrongful Death

High-stakes investigations where precise reconstruction and causation findings are critical.

Low-Impact / High-Claim

Minor collisions paired with major injury claims, where the physics and data simply don't add up.

Vehicle Theft & Recovery

Bluetooth, GPS and infotainment evidence that confirms whether and how a vehicle was actually stolen.

Why Garrett Forensics

Since 1971, Garrett Forensics has delivered independent, objective and competent forensic analysis that clients rely on to resolve their most important claims and disputes.

Five decades of authority

More than 50 years of forensic investigation and expert testimony across California and nationwide auto-accident matters.

Certified credentials

Bosch CDR-trained technicians and Certified EDR Analysts using industry-standard equipment and methodology.

Independent & objective

We report what the data shows. Our conclusions are defensible, well-documented and built to withstand scrutiny.

Fast response

Prompt acknowledgment and turnaround — because evidence and deadlines don't wait.

Trusted by carriers

Relied upon by insurers including Sentry Insurance, the Auto Club of Southern California and Farmers Insurance Group.

Nationwide reach

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, with national auto-accident services available to clients across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is vehicle digital forensics?
Vehicle digital forensics is the recovery and analysis of electronic data stored in a vehicle — including event data recorder (EDR) data, infotainment records, telematics, GPS and control-module data. Experts use this evidence to reconstruct accidents, determine crash causation and answer disputed questions of fact in legal and insurance matters.
What data can be recovered from a vehicle after a crash?
Depending on the vehicle, recoverable data can include pre- and post-crash speed, braking, throttle and steering inputs, seatbelt use, paired Bluetooth devices, call logs, GPS destinations and navigation history, and stability- and safety-system activations. The exact data available varies by make, model and year.
What is an Event Data Recorder (EDR) or "black box"?
An Event Data Recorder is a module in most modern vehicles that captures data around a crash event, typically when an airbag deploys. Garrett Forensics' Bosch CDR-trained, Certified EDR Analysts download and interpret this data to support accident reconstruction.
Can infotainment and GPS data be used as evidence in court?
Yes. When properly extracted and documented by a qualified expert, infotainment, telematics and GPS data can be presented as admissible evidence. It can confirm where a vehicle traveled, which devices were connected, and whether an account of events is consistent with the digital record.
Do you provide expert witness testimony?
Yes. Our experts provide written reports, deposition testimony and trial testimony for attorneys and insurers. We translate complex technical findings into clear, defensible conclusions that withstand cross-examination.
Do you work with cases outside California?
Yes. Garrett Forensics is headquartered in Long Beach, California, and offers national auto-accident services, including vehicle data extraction, EDR analysis and document review for clients across the country.

Request a Case Review

Have a case or claim where the vehicle's data could change the outcome? Send it to our certified vehicle digital forensics experts and we'll be in touch.

Request a Case Review Call (562) 997-3013