[News] Widow Sues Trucker and Wins $3.25-Million In Sleep-Apnea Case

[greatunclebill]

the ticket for most of that list including reading would read "inattentive driving". you could come with an endless list of things that are inattentive driving, not paying attention while driving.

[JumpStart]

the ticket for most of that list including reading would read "inattentive driving". you could come with an endless list of things that are inattentive driving, not paying attention while driving.

Yeah, but the list is more fun.

[truckerdad57]

I am a truck driver with sleep apnea. A few things the story and this thread have left out.

1) What truck driver in their right mind would truthfully answer yes to any sleep apnea screening questions knowing it will cost them their job? Many trucking compaines instead of incurring the costs of sleep apnea testing and treatment just fire OSA drivers.

2) Most truck drivers have p*** poor health insurance coverage if any at all. Even if you have insurance most can not afford the time off, DOT regs require one week compliant on CPAP for return to work. I lost almost a month's pay between diagnosis, titration, getting a pap and then one week on pap. 'This was back in 2002 things have gotten better with APAP but.....

3) Where do you plug in a CPAP in a sleeper berth equipped semi truck in a state like California where you can not idle the main engine? Ever try using a CPAP in 55 degree or colder air temps.... cpap induced hypothermia.... been there and almost did not come back.

4) The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration did a sleep apnea crash risk study...one problem.. it found no statistically relevant coorellation between sleep apnea and an increased risk of crask in commercial motor vehicle operators. Most studies showing crash risk have been done on car drivers. My favorite was the one where they did not even test drivers with sleep apnea. They simulated sleep apnea with prolonged lack of sleep. Guess what.. you don't let a group of grad students sleep for 3 days they drive about a bad as if they were drunk.

Sleep apnea is a HUGE health issue for truckers... and anyone who even thinks they might have OSA needs to get tested and treated.

Ponder this..... is it the truck driver or the car that is at fault for most crashes?


A study done by AAA (not a trucker friendly group) found that of the accidents where police or an accident reconstruction could determine fault 78% of the crashes between a car and semi were caused by the car. That is not to say there are not idiot trucker on the road... just ponder some of the earlier postings.

[bige94]

I drove my car off the road twice and was found asleep in our company parking lot. The car was running, door was open and my foot was on the ground. I shutter to think how much mountain dew and candy I used to inhale on a daily basis. Damn apnea.

[truckerdad57]

We have a journalist? or is he classed as a proper spammer lol

What I dont understand is if people with HGV or PSV licence have to have medicals to obtain them why arnt they checked for OSA? and why doesnt it now become compulsary that all drivers should have to take a medical to say they have/havenot got the condition. Makes sense, I dont want to have an accident with some trucker who couldnt be bothered to get checked. They should be prosecuted if they dont and have there licence revoked.

Are you willing to give up your job because of sleep apnea?

It's not the bother it's the cost of testing and treatment without insurance coverage.

Also the screening criteria used here in the states for Dot physicals are bogus.. BMI>35 can pop you for a sleep study.

Then there's the issues of using a cpap in a sleeper berth equipped semi. . To power the CPAP you need to idle the truck engine. ..but truckers in many areas can't because of air quality regulations.

Yes I know there are portable battery pap available. But battery pap can't humidity on battery. Semi air is bone dry...4-8% rh. Use pap without humidification a few nights and you are dealing with bloody noses etc.

Stop by some truck driver forums and get a taste of the reasons why drivers are pushing back about sleep apnea.

Now.... in Wanda Lindsay's case the driver had been diagnosed but refused to use his cpap. He went to great lengths to hide and conceal that he had osa.

There are several cases where drivers are serving multiple year sentences for concealing sleep apnea on a DOT medical exam.