Sleep Apnea and Car Accidents
The prevalence of sleep apnea disorders is associated with an increase in the number of motor vehicle accidents. Understanding the problem and taking corrective steps to prevent it are ways that we can all keep the roads a safer place.
The Problem
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that drivers are 2.5 times more likely to be in a motor vehicle accidents if they suffer from sleep apnea. The researchers further noted that getting five hours of sleep or less a night and using medications to induce sleep had a deleterious effect on the individual’s roadway performance.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Generally speaking, sleep apnea is a disorder where the individual pauses breathing during sleep. Such pauses may last for minutes to seconds, happening anywhere from several up to 30 times in an hour. They are followed by a resumption of breathing, usually with a loud guttural noise. The problem is when breathing is halted, the person goes from deep sleep to a lighter sleep component. Since deep sleep is needed to feel refreshed in the morning, the person with sleep apnea is usually chronically tired.
Types of Sleep Apnea
There are three distinct types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive
- Central
- Mixed
Obstructive sleep apnea is by far the most common, and there are common factors that cause a person to have OSA. They are:
- Obesity
- Allergies
- Family history of sleep apnea
- Enlarged tonsils
- A structurally small airway
Other occupants of the household will notice the condition, dominated by loud snoring. Diagnosis is done by performing a test for sleep apnea that is usually done in a sleep lab where the person remains overnight. For true sleep apnea, there is the criterion of a minimum of five sleep apnea episodes during sleep. Treatment centers use a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) and therapy aimed at associated risk factors such as losing weight, avoiding the use of sleeping pills, and avoiding alcohol.
Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Loud snoring is the most prominent noticeable symptom, which may be accompanied by a dry or irritated throat in the morning. Other symptoms are:
- Fatigue during the day
- Headache upon waking
- Frequent arousals during sleep
- Depression
- Irritability
- Changes in personality
- Mood swings
- Poor concentration or learning difficulties
- Daytime sleepiness (most prominent symptom)
- Falling asleep at work or when driving
Incidence of Accidents Due to Sleep Apnea
The number of car accidents due to ineffective sleep such as that induced by sleep apnea is placed between 16 and 20 percent. It has been shown that sleep deprivation over a week’s time can mimic the problems associated with drunk driving and a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10, well above the accepted standard for drunkenness. Since sleep apnea affects approximately 25 million individuals, the scope of the problem is monumental.
It has been shown that over 6,300 fatal accidents nationwide as well as 328,000 motor vehicle accidents are due to sleep loss. According to AAA, this is about 21 percent of the total crashes, an increase from 16.5 percent in 2010.
Common Types of Accidents Due to Sleep Loss
Certain types of accidents are associated more strongly with sleep loss. These are head-on collisions, single-vehicle accidents, and rollover accidents. While the problem is significant among motorists in passenger vehicles, the issue is a considerable problem among truck drivers who have tight schedules and often do not rest in order to meet deadlines.
Injuries in Sleep-Apnea-Induced Accidents
The type of injuries commonly seen in the sort of accidents associated with sleep loss are often catastrophic and include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Neck and spinal cord damage
- Bone fractures
- Chest and abdominal trauma
- Paralysis
- Amputation injury
Fresno Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno car accident lawyer. If you have been injured by a drowsy driver or if a family member has been killed due to drowsy driving, call me at (559) 377-7676 or outside the area at my toll-free number (800) 404-5400 for friendly and free advice.
As an injury lawyer, I have consistently helped clients in Northern California to obtain damages in wrongful deaths and traumatic injuries.
It is helpful to check reviews by other clients as you decide to choose a lawyer. You can take a look at my Yelp, Avvo, and Google page to view client and peer reviews. Also, check my Verdicts and Settlements page for a list of prior cases and what I did to resolve them for my clients.
Members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum are trial lawyers from around the country with verdicts/settlements of $1 million or more. I am a California member of the group.
Go to autoaccident.com, the website I founded and own. It offers helpful and important information about different types of personal injuries.
Photo Attribution: Wikimedia Commons ambulance.png
:cd [cs 824] cv