Sleep Apnea Can Cause Some Terrible Wisconsin Truck Crashes

Many Wisconsin motorists are rightfully worried about whether truck drivers are alert, sharp and focused, or whether they are drowsy, in pain, on drugs, feverish, numb and worn out.

It matters. Crashes of passenger cars with 18-wheelers usually have devastating effects, and over 85 percent of the victims are the occupants of passenger cars. Among the many health issues that truck drivers face, one stands out: sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can be described as an irregular breathing pattern during sleep, when breathing either stops or becomes very faint, during a certain time interval, only to resume with force afterwards. Most people suffering from sleep apnea wake up tired, and feel the effects of being tired during their waking hours: fatigue, slow reactions, and a general difficulty of focusing. After time, these effects may lead to a decline in motivation, judgment and information processing.

Three factors increase the incidence of sleep apnea:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Age

For motor carriers, it has become crucial to detect if any of their Wisconsin truck drivers suffers from sleep apnea. Not only is the ailment easy to correct, but the consequences of not doing anything could be dramatic, and very costly.

How do you resolve the problem of sleep apnea? If sleep apnea cannot be cured, its effects can be drastically reduced by using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. There are different models of CPAP systems, usually involving a mask, tubes and a fan. The use of a CPAP device may be problematic in the beginning, as the patient needs to adjust to the system and vice-versa. Its benefits are undeniable, though, and for many people with sleep apnea who have used a CPAP mask there is no turning back.

If you have been injured in a Wisconsin or Illinois car, truck or motorcycle accident, contact the personal injury attorneys of Hupy & Abraham, S.C. at 800-800-5676 (toll-free) or 414-223-4800 (local) for a free evaluation of your case, or send us an e-mail with your questions. Hupy & Abraham have lawyer offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton in Wisconsin, and Gurnee and Bloomington in Illinois.