Truck Driver Sleep Deprivation Accident Attorneys
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, it is unlawful for a truck driver to maintain a commercial license to drive if suffering from a medical condition that results in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
The FMCSA reports that conditions such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy account for about 70 percent of EDS. Although sleep apnea by itself is not cause for preventing a driver from getting behind the wheel, the FMCSA has recognized that fatigue, sleep deprivation, sleep debt and medical conditions causing EDS can be a significant risk to the public, as well as the truck driver.
How Sleep Apnea Causes Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Debt
Most people's bodies and minds require a set number of hours of sleep each week to function properly. A person may require eight hours of sleep each night, but a medical condition such as sleep apnea may cause the loss of one or two hours nightly. The person may be able to function on six or seven hours, perhaps for several days, but the accumulated lost hours of sleep are referred to as sleep debt. After several days, sleep debt begins to take its toll, resulting in mental and physical fatigue.
Representing Fatigued Truck Accident Victims Across the Country
For more than a quarter-century, the attorneys of Humphrey, Farrington & McClain have aggressively represented the legal needs of victims injured in truck accidents resulting from truck driver fatigue and negligence. We have been secured more than $1 billion in settlements and jury verdicts. Our trial attorneys know what to investigate to determine whether sleep apnea or other medical conditions contributed to driver fatigue.
We have experience in all types of injury and wrongful death claims resulting from truck driver negligence, including:
- Driver fatigue, sleep deprivation, sleep debt, sleep apnea
- Logbook violations relating to breaks and extended driving
- Illegal management compensation policies based on driving hours or miles
- Truck driver narcotics abuse
- All other violations of FMCSA medical regulations
Our truck accident attorneys handle cases across the country, including serious truck accidents in Illinois, California, Texas and Florida. We work on a contingency basis and have the resources to carry the cost of litigation through trial. To arrange a free consultation with a trucking accident lawyer at Humphrey Farrington, contact us online or call 888-353-0491.
