Sleep Therapy Services Provider Claims Success in Sleep Apnea Treatment

November 11th, 2009

California truck accident lawyers have been very concerned about the lack of strong federal action to combat sleep apnea-related accidents. The high prevalence of sleep apnea in truckers and the increased risk of crashes because of this condition is an extremely serious issue. The FMCSA has done little to address the problem, choosing to sleep – no pun intended – over the NTSB recommendation that all truck drivers and bus drivers be screened for sleep apnea.

However, a private sleep therapy service provider is claiming success in a clinical trial that aims to calculate the benefits of sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment in preventing fatigue-related accidents. The clinical trial aims at documenting the cost savings that trucking companies can enjoy if they put into place effective diagnoses and treatment programs for truck drivers, who are at a high risk for sleep apnea.

The clinical trial was conducted by Sleep Safe Drivers Inc., as part of a collaborative effort with JB Hunt Transport Services and Georgia-based Fusion Sleep LLC which is a provider of clinical sleep medicine services. According to the researchers, they have had great success with truckers suffering from sleep apnea, using the treatment. Obese truckers are at a higher risk of sleep apnea, and truckers seem to be a higher risk of obesity, because of their sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diet. According to researchers, they have seen improvement in truckers, who have been able to reduce their weight and cut down their fatigue rates, through the treatment.

One of the most impressive features of the program is the provision of ambulatory testing, that allows a driver to be tested wherever he is sleeping that night. This kind of testing is not just more affordable than conventional sleep apnea testing, but it is also much more convenient for truckers, who can get themselves tested on the spot wherever they are that day.

California truck accident attorneys would greatly prefer it if trucking companies would take it on themselves to put into place mandatory sleep apnea screenings and testing facilities for truckers. The sooner truckers can be tested for the condition, the quicker they can begin their treatment. Any sleep apnea programs for truckers by employers must also incorporate monitoring procedures, to ensure that they stick with the treatment program. Earlier this year, a study by Harvard University researchers showed that many truckers who had begun to receive treatment for sleep apnea, simply discontinued the program halfway through. This means that these truckers didn’t receive the treatment they needed, and simply went back on the roads to drive again.

Driver fatigue is a major contributing factor to truck accidents in California. While California truck accident lawyers applaud the revision of truckers’ hours of service, it’s also important to take steps towards easier diagnosis of sleep apnea in truckers, and effective treatment for this. Truckers are uniquely predisposed to sleep apnea, and it makes financial and safety sense for trucking companies to include mandatory sleep apnea screenings and treatment for their employees.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of truck accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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