• 08
  • February
    2012

Several of our posts in recent months have focused on the problem of sleep apnea in the trucking industry. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of truckers in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, but the condition often goes undiagnosed and untreated.

Because sleep apnea results in interrupted and non-restful sleep, truck driver fatigue is often the consequence. Considering how many truckers cruise down the New Jersey Turnpike and other major highways every day, it is scary to realize that some could fall asleep at any moment and cause a devastating truck accident.

Recent research suggests that sleep apnea can lead to even more dangerous outcomes than just falling asleep at the wheel. A study presented at a conference of the American Stroke Association reveals that people with sleep apnea may be at a higher risk for silent strokes.

The study's lead author said: "We found a surprisingly high frequency of sleep apnea in patients with stroke that underlines its clinical relevance as a stroke risk factor. Sleep apnea is widely unrecognized and still neglected. Patients who had severe sleep apnea were more likely to have silent strokes and the severity of sleep apnea increased the risk of being disabled at hospital discharge."

The results of this research have a number of important implications, especially regarding the liability of trucking companies after an accident. When a trucker causes an accident after falling asleep at the wheel, it is easy to see that this could have been prevented and thus constitutes negligent behavior.

By contrast, strokes and other medical emergencies are often considered unforeseeable circumstances. However, if a truck driver with undiagnosed/untreated sleep apnea suffers a stroke which then results in an accident, an argument could potentially be made for trucking company negligence.

At the very least, this research shows just how dangerous sleep apnea really is, and that truck drivers with untreated apnea should not be driving large vehicles down our nation's highways.

Source: OHSonline.com, "Sleep Apnea Linked to Silent Strokes, Small Lesions in Brain," Feb. 5, 2012