In a recent article, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) explored the accelerating adoption of dash cameras in U.S. trucking, and what insurers now expect from fleets. And there’s a clear trend:
Dashcam video is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s now central to claims defense, litigation readiness, and insurance negotiations.
No camera – no coverage
CCJ reports that Wilson Logistics deployed driver- and road-facing cameras across 100% of its fleet. Their COO,Bruce Stockton shared how their insurer’s attitude has changed – without 100% adoption of cameras, they wouldn’t even be considering writing liability coverage. Why? To survive in today’s legal environment
In the same article, Matt Domitrovich atAmwins summarized the new legal reality:
- Dash cam technology helps avoid accidents
- And when crashes happen, it tells the story
In his words, “we’re in a legal environment where you almost have to prove that you didn’t do anything wrong to get out of litigation.”
This aligns with what many insurers already see:
Without objective data, even a defensible claim can turn into expensive litigation.
Real-life cases: Dashcams are already protecting fleets and insurers
Inspired by the CCJ article, we reviewed insurer and law-firm case stories, and we have good news. Video evidence isn’t theoretical – it is actively defending fleets in courtrooms and negotiations today.
- Cook Insurance Groupreport video proof outperforms witness testimonies in courts,which can mean avoiding large settlements and protecting the business.
- IAT Insurance Groupdescribe a case where aclaim for physical damage and bodily injury was deniedbefore escalation because of video footage.
- Sentryhighlight that preservedevidence is often the deciding factor in avoiding litigation altogether.
- The Fuentes Firmdocumented a case where aclaim against a carrier and driver was dismissedthanks to dash-camera video.
- Franklin & Prokopik, PCexplains howcameras have become a pillar of risk management and a key tool for defense counsel.
In simple words, video wins cases when it’s available.
Why dashcams don’t win every case
Hands up for Jennifer Akre of Tyler & Mendes, who noted that, “It’s always the truck with a broken camera that gets into an accident.”
But beyond bad luck, there are three recurring reasons fleets lose the advantage of video:
- Delayed preservation.If footage isn’t downloaded immediately, it risks being overwritten. Especially if an insurer starts an investigation at FNOL, several days or weeks after the accident.
- Lack of consent documentation.Without clear consent, insurers can’t access data, and some courts won’t admit the footage.
- Poor storage or data management.Lost files, corrupted video, and missing backups complicate first understanding of accidents and selecting the best course of action.
How EZ Claims addresses the issues
At Draivn, we built EZ Claims to help detect accidents fast and ensure that video, telematics, and contextual data are always available, preserved, and usable across the entire claims lifecycle.
1. Accident detection or FNOL lookup
EZ Claims monitors telematics, cameras, and environmental context to flag likely accidents with validation to limit false positives. Insurers, brokers, and TPAs can also initiate the process at FNOL to auto‑gather data into an incident record.
2. Claims overview
Within minutes, EZ Claims compiles a comprehensive claims overview. If video is available, it is integrated directly into the report, providing clear visual evidence alongside:
- Accident and trip details:Precise GPS location, time, and event reconstruction.
- AI summary:A detailed, automated description of driver behavior, road conditions, traffic, and weather.
- Coverage verification:Instant confirmation of an active policy, including start/end dates.
- Compliance status:Key data on HOS and DVIR violations at the time of the event.
All backed by Draivn's robust consent management, data security, and encryption technologies.
Want to see how fast & clean telematics, video, and contextual data can move a claim to resolution? Contact us via draivn.com.
