Truck drivers are responsible for safely maneuvering up to 80,000 pounds of goods and equipment on the highway.
When commercial drivers have health conditions associated with untreated sleep apnea, it can heighten the potential for truck accidents that result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities.
This blog post covers the risks of obstructive sleep apnea in commercial truck drivers and what legal options truck accident victims have.
Understanding Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in CMV Drivers
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Lapses in breathing can last 10 seconds or more—and can happen up to 400 times every night.
Its prevalence among commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers is a growing concern, as untreated OSA can significantly impair driving ability and increase the risk of drowsy driving.
When sleep apnea impacts multiple nights of sleep, a truckers alertness and driving performance may suffer. This sleep study suggests drivers who experience untreated sleep apnea have the following symptoms:
- Memory problems
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty staying awake
- Poor eye focus
- Slower reaction times
Key Risk Factors
Drivers with larger neck circumferences, high BMI, or medical conditions like hypertension and high blood pressure are at a higher risk for OSA.
Additional indicators include loud snoring, morning headaches, and memory problems, which often go unnoticed or unreported. A family history of sleep disorders can also increase susceptibility.
How Common is Sleep Apnea in Truckers
However, without mandatory sleep tests, some drivers may remain undiagnosed.
A study by the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reveals that almost one-third of commercial truck drivers—28%—suffer from some level of sleep apnea.
Despite this alarming statistic, the Department of Transportation does not require sleep apnea testing for CDL licensing as part of its physical exam.
Instead, FMCSA regulations (Pg. 45) only recommend that certified medical examiners discuss a sleep test for undiagnosed respiratory issues, like sleep apnea, if a driver has multiple risk factors.
But there’s a problem:
Sleep apnea is often only identified when drivers report their own symptoms.
So, what happens if a truck driver’s sleep apnea goes untreated? How does this impact their driving—and put everyone on the road at risk?
We’ll explore that next.
Potential Dangers of Truck Drivers With Sleep Apnea to Others
When sleep apnea impacts multiple nights of sleep, a truck driver’s alertness and driving performance may suffer.
The sleep study above suggests the following impacts on drivers who experience untreated sleep apnea:
- Difficulty staying awake
- Poor eye focus
- Slower reaction times
- Increased risk of fatigue-related crashes
Drowsiness While Driving Commercial Motor Vehicles
Sleep apnea often causes excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia. Driver fatigue may lead to a truck driver falling asleep while actively maneuvering a truck.
Focus Challenges
Too little rest caused by sleep apnea leads to a lack of focus, impairing a truck driver’s ability to respond quickly to traffic changes around them.
Focus challenges may also lead to drivers making risky maneuvers to make a turn or exit, to avoid rear-end collisions, or to prevent other crashes resulting from personal negligence or another driver’s actions.
A lack of focus may also lead to speed control issues, whether driving at excessive speeds or slowing to a pace that creates hazards on busy interstates.
The inability to concentrate can reduce a truck driver’s reaction time when they need to brake to avoid a crash.
Emotional Management Issues
Another symptom of sleep apnea is a change in the person’s mood or personality.
Poor sleep often leads to depression or emotional volatility, and the inability to effectively manage emotions may lead to incidents of road rage or aggressive driving.
This behavior endangers the target of the truck driver’s anger and other individuals in a tractor-trailer’s path. Acts of road rage may include tailgating, swerving unpredictably into other lanes of traffic, verbal threats, and ignoring traffic signs.
Drug or Alcohol Impairment
Headaches after a poor night’s sleep may occur as a result of sleep apnea.
Treating a headache may be as simple as using an over-the-counter pain reliever.
However, the demands of the trucking industry combined with overcoming the physical symptoms of sleep apnea may lead to an increase in drug and alcohol impairment among truck drivers.
Data from a study at the University of Central Arkansas suggests that the U.S. Department of Transportation is severely underreporting drug use among truck drivers.
Some trucking organizations indicate that the number of truck drivers who use drugs while operating a truck is double the reported number.
Depression resulting from sleep apnea may commonly co-occur with alcohol use disorders. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the percentage of alcohol-impaired driving incidents nationwide involving trucks is only 3%.
Yet, truck accidents may be more damaging and deadly because of the size and impact of an 18-wheeler on other vehicles in an accident.
Cardiovascular Incidents
Untreated sleep apnea may result in a significant increase in heart disease.
Truck drivers with untreated sleep apnea may experience the risk of experiencing the following cardiovascular incidents while driving a truck in Texas:
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Chest pain
- Heart attack
While any driver may experience a medical event operating a vehicle, drivers with untreated sleep apnea may face more risk of accident and injury to themselves and others.
Data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that over 40% of truck drivers suffer from the health challenges of heart disease and musculoskeletal disorders.
Sleep Apnea and Truck Driving Claims
A truck driver’s negligence, whether intentional or not, may lead to an accident that causes significant damage.
Texas follows modified comparative negligence laws requiring you to prove that a truck driver’s actions or the trucking company’s actions resulted in your injuries and costs.
You will also be unable to recover damages if your percentage of fault is more than 50% in the accident.
A Houston truck accident attorney with our firm will secure evidence supporting your claim for the compensation you deserve for your recovery.
Besides a police report of the accident, much of the evidence in a truck accident claim is unavailable to the public.
A personal injury lawyer with our firm may file civil actions for the following documentation if they suspect sleep apnea plays a role in contributing to a truck accident in Texas:
- The truck driver’s medical records
- The truck driver’s log book recording their time on and off the job
- Black box data from the truck’s computer
- Toxicology reports
- The trucking company’s safety protocol
Ultimately, the insurance company may deny your claim if you do not have the vital records we strive to secure for you.
If you wait too long to contact a Houston truck accident lawyer, you could risk losing crucial information if it is lost or deleted by the trucking company or other sources.
Truck Driver Log Violations
A Houston truck accident attorney may also play a crucial role in identifying log book violations.
Truck driver logs, maintained according to law, can provide vital information into the impact of sleep or lack of rest and proper break periods on a truck accident.
Truck driver log violations that may misrepresent a driver’s actions include falsifying logs, failure to maintain a log book, skipping mandatory breaks, and exceeding maximum driving times.
Trucking Company Safety Violations
The FMCSA establishes regulations and rule interpretations that trucking companies must adhere to.
Most Texas truck drivers must receive a medical examiner’s certificate to obtain a CDL.
Though testing for sleep apnea is not a requirement, other components of an examination may indicate a health issue that indicates the driver is likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
Trucking companies that allow drivers to perform work duties without requiring the appropriate medical certification may face swift fines and penalties under the law.
A trucking company’s safety violations may also qualify as negligence under civil law, making it financially responsible for your damages.
Contact Our Houston Truck Accident Attorneys
The Williams Hart & Boundas team holds trucking companies and negligent truck drivers responsible for your damages.
Schedule a free consultation as soon as possible to discuss a Houston truck accident and learn more about how we can help you.
You pay no fees for our services unless we secure compensation.