Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious auto accidents

Even the safest Colorado drivers are at risk of being seriously injured or killed in a car accident caused by the negligence of another. This negligence can come about in a number of ways, too. Distracted driving, primarily driven by texting and driving, continues to increase, while drunk driving and high driving seem to be becoming more common. Even driver fatigue can play a tragic role in a serious auto accident. For victims who are seeking to recover compensation for their damages suffered in one of these accidents, it is crucial to prove negligence. However, it is not always easy to determine the cause of a car accident.

For example, truckers who are subjected to federal regulations are disallowed from operating their vehicles when they have a medical condition that affects their ability to safely operate their vehicle. Yet, many truckers suffer from these medical conditions and either fail to disclose those conditions to their employer, or they fail to obtain the medical treatment necessary to obtain clearance to drive.

One of these dangerous conditions is sleep apnea. This medical condition causes an individual’s breathing to periodically stop, thereby causing the individual to wake up. These sleep interruptions can occur as often as 400 times in a single night. As a result, sleep apnea suffers often slog through their day overly tired and susceptible to falling asleep at a moment’s notice. For truckers, this can put not only their own safety and well-being at risk, but also the safety of other motorists on the road.

Car accident victims needs to know the facts at play so that he or she can build the most compelling claim possible under the circumstances. This is why engaging in holistic discovery is often crucial to a claim’s success. By being diligent, car accident victims may be able to obtain evidence to show negligence, such as a trucker’s untreated medical condition.