Many truck drivers get into accidents because they are simply too tired. They go to sleep and spend the required number of hours not driving and yet still feel tired and fall asleep driving. What many don’t realize is that they are suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder. The disorder is characterized by pauses in breathing while the sufferer is asleep. Each pause is called an apnea privative. These episodes generally cause a person to skip one to two breaths and recur repeatedly throughout the night.

An apneic event generally includes a minimum of 10 seconds between breaths in conjunction with either a neurological arousal, blood oxygen saturation loss of 3% of greater, or both at the same time. To diagnose the condition, a person is given a polysomnogram. This test is an overnight test that really just requires the person to whom it is being administered to sleep.

In order for sleep apnea to be considered clinically significant, a person must experience a minimum of five apneas privative per hour of any type of apnea. This is measured by the polysomnogram.

There are three different, distinct forms of sleep apnea; central, obstructive, and complex. Complex is a combination of both central and obstructive. Central accounts for roughly .4% of all cases while obstructive sleep apnea accounts for the vast majority of cases at 84%. Complex accounts for 15% of all cases.

The difference between the types of sleep apnea deals mainly with how breathing is disrupted. In obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted by something physically blocking airflow, despite the effort being exerted. In central, breathing is interrupted because a person is not exhibiting an effort to breathe. In complex sleep apnea, there is a transition from central to obstructive sleep apnea during the apneic events themselves.

Regardless of what type of sleep apnea with which a person is diagnosed, the sufferer is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even when they are awakened by their inability to breathe. People watching an individual with sleep-apnea sleep can recognize the episodes when they occur. In addition, many can suspect that a person has the condition due to the effects on the body.

Prior to diagnosis, symptoms can be present for years or even decades. During this time, the sufferer may become conditioned to their inability to get a good night’s rest and the fatigue associated with the significant levels of sleep disturbance they’re experiencing. For more articles like this bookmark http://18wheeleraccident.net

Author: Joseph Devine

Full of hope and dreams for the future, Billy Johnson headed out on the highway toward home after just graduating from college, looking forward to some time at home with his family before starting his career. Everything changed in mere seconds when an 18 wheeler going the other direction swerved out of control, charging into Billy’s lane, crushing his car like a tin can. It is amazing that Billy survived both this big rig accident and being comatose for four months. After awaking from his coma, Billy and his family were devastated to learn he was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

A police investigation of this semi truck accident found that the cause for this life changing event was simply the fatigued truck driver falling asleep at the wheel. Horrifying stories like this happen all the time. Unfortunately, many victims don’t live and those that do often don’t get the proper legal help and representation they deserve.

This article details some startling statistics about these accidents and what you should do if you or a loved one are involved in a big rig accident.

Alarming Statistics

Trucking companies most always side with their truck drivers, blaming the victims of these accidents, even when it’s clear the cause was truck driver negligence. Even worse, the hiring process many trucking companies employ allows them to hire people who don’t speak or read English, resulting in truck drivers who cannot read or understand road signs. In addition, trucking companies don’t often require drug testing or check police records, allowing them to hire people with drug and alcohol problems and even with past DIU arrests.

Trucking companies are in business to make money and that means getting shipments delivered on time. They don’t usually place a high priority on protecting helpless motorists who could potentially become a victim of a big rig accident. Recent semi truck accident statistics show that 12% of all traffic related deaths and 4% of all traffic related injuries involve 18 wheelers. These statistics further show that 77% of those injured and 86% of those killed were drivers of small non-commercial vehicles, while semi truck drivers usually walk away from accidents with little or no injury.

One recent truck driver involved in a semi truck accident used a fake Social Security number to get a commercial driver’s license. In addition to several immigration arrests and an inability to satisfactorily speak and read English, this truck driver had been cited for a number of truck safety regulations, yet he was still on the road. His reckless driving caused an accident resulting in the deaths of three generations of two families - a 14 year old boy, a pregnant woman carrying twins, two mothers, and a grandmother. The truck driver who caused this big rig accident walked away unharmed.

If You’re Affected By A Big Rig Accident

Tragedies in the form of a semi truck accident happen daily and the sad thing is that most can and should have been prevented. Even with the strict regulations set regarding the hiring practices and acceptable work hours for these drivers, trucking companies continually ignore them in an attempt to increase profits at the cost of the lives of others.

If you or a loved one is affected by a semi truck accident, you should seek the help of a qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable attorney so you have an expert on your side to make sure you receive the care and compensation you deserve. For more articles like this, bookmark www.18wheeleraccident.net

Author: Christine OKelly

18 Wheeler Accident presents the following article about how dangerous it can be to drive with 18 wheeler tire shreds on our highways, freeways and roads.  I personally have experienced this, and was lucky to not have anything serious happen to me or my family onboard.  However, if you have had an accident due to an 18 wheeler, you should contact an attorney in your area for more information and even potential legal representation. 

Any driver who has traveled the highways has seen the rubber that has peeled off of an 18-wheeler tire; this can be hazardous for the driver of an auto when it is unavoidable. On the highways auto drivers tend to travel at the speed allowed on that roadway and when traveling at a speed of 55 to 70 that is usually allowed it becomes very difficult to avoid these treads if in the path of the auto. California with its port of Long Beach presents a prime example of a high danger area for de tread decapitations and amputations of occupants of passenger vehicles. When autos on the road meet 18 wheelers treads, it is just a matter of statistics when a person suffers a wrongful death.

For an auto to hit this rubber at a high speed anything is possible, the car can veer into other lanes of traffic, it can be thrown into guard rails, or it can be damaged by the rubber striking the under side of the auto it can even be caused to flip over and spill out the occupants into traffic and run over accidents.

While this is a hazard on most any highway it is more of a problem on the highways and freeways that are in Los Angeles and Orange County cities, this is not a situation that will become better over time as officials that monitor the amount of 18-wheelers traveling these roads estimate that within the next ten years the number of 18-wheelers will rise dramatically. This means that odds are there will be more accidents involving 18-wheelers and it is safe to say that many of them will be from the treads of these tires that have peeled off the tucks left to lay on the highway or freeway.

A vehicle striking this at a rate of speed that is posted on most highways or freeways is in trouble and can even involve other motorists in their dilemma as they lose the ability to control their auto. When autos on the road meet 18-wheeler treads injuries can be severe, this can even result in death, as there is no time to avoid this tread, nor is there room on the highway or freeway to switch lanes quickly and safely.

Author: Michael Ehline

This is a time when an experienced attorney in Orange County and the Los Angeles areas like Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills and Long Beach can be a great asset to have, they understand the laws and regulations of 18-wheelers and the truck that loses tread from its tires has in most cases not been maintained properly. For an experienced attorney this raises red flags, not properly maintaining an 18-wheeler is the responsibility of the company that owns it prior to sending it out on the highways and freeways, when they do not it becomes a danger to any other vehicle on the road and for the driver of the truck. Retaining highly experienced Los Angeles car accident attorneys or 18 Wheeler Accident Attorneys Los Angeles will be a help. But paying attention and staying away from large trucks on the road will also help avoid accidents when autos on the road meet 18 wheeler treads.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Ehline

18 Wheeler Accidents presents the following information on stats and background on 18 wheeler accidents.  While these stats are some of the more recent ones available, it is well-known that as we have increased the amount of imports and transportation for retailers, grocers and other industries, the number of 18 wheelers on the road have risen.  Along with this rise is a rise in incidents.  If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with an 18 wheeler, contact an attorney to find out what your rights are. 

Every 16 minutes, a person is killed or sustains injuries in accidents involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers or semi-trucks

In 2001, 429,000 large trucks were involved in traffic crashes (both fatal and minor) in the United States:
- 4,793 were involved in fatal crashes
- 5,082 people died
- 131,000 were injured
- In 2001, there were 6,536 total crashes involving tractor-trailer trucks in Pennsylvania;154 were fatal.

In 2003, there were 58,512 total vehicle accidents involved in fatal crashes in the U.S.

- 4,669 were large trucks involved in fatal truck accidents
- Large trucks are more likely to be involved in a fatal multi-vehicle crash than are passenger vehicles.

In 2003, Texas witnessed 5040 fatal traffic accidents, of which 438 were fatal truck accidents. This number has risen from 5039 total traffic accidents and 401 fatal truck accidents for the previous year 2002. Similarly, in Pennsylvania, there were 2233 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, of which 213 were fatal truck accidents, as opposed to corresponding numbers of 2198 and 174 for the year 2002. Florida had 4432 fatal traffic accidents in 2003, with 343 of them involving trucks, which was higher than 4431 total traffic accidents for 2002 but lower than the 351 fatal truck accidents in the same period. The highest number of fatal traffic accidents happened in California, with the number being a staggering 5725 fatal auto accidents in 2003. But at 332, the number of fatal truck accidents was not the highest among all states in the US.

Trucking revenues totaled $610 billion last year and revenues are forecasted to nearly double by 2015. The majority of fatal truck accidents occur in rural areas (68 percent) during the daytime (66 percent) and on weekdays (78 percent). In 2002, the majority of large truck crashes occurred in good weather (71 percent), on dry roads (71 percent), during the daytime (75 percent), and on weekdays (88 percent).

About 27 percent of all large truck drivers involved in fatal truck accidents throughout the United States had at least one prior speeding conviction compared to 19 percent of the passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes. From 1992 to 2002, the number of large trucks involved in fatal crashes has increased by up to 10% due to driver fatigue, unsafe vehicle operation, large, unstable loads or defective equipment.

Defects contribute to the number of large truck accidents each year. Some of these defects include:

- Tires or wheels: 80 crashes
- Brake-related: 76 crashes
- Engine/Transmission: 52 crashes
- Steering Wheel: 13 crashes

About 700 heavy truck drivers and passengers in truck cabs die each year. In addition, almost 3,700 persons in cars and other passenger vehicles die annually in collisions with heavy trucks.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that in crashes involving large trucks and other vehicles, 98% of the fatalities occur to the people in passenger vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has warned groups using 15-seat passenger vans about the dangers of fully loading the vans and then putting an inexperienced driver behind the wheel. The NHTSA also stated that 15-passenger vans are large trucks and should only be driven by people with experience driving large trucks.

The FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) classifies a truck as large if its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeds 10,000 pounds.

The majority of fatal crashes involving tractor-trailer trucks include trucks that are pulling one trailer. A recent survey showed that 64% of fatal truck crashes had one trailer. Thirty-two percent of those involved single-unit trucks (no trailer) and fewer than 4% of the those involved multi-trailer vehicles (more than one trailer).

Author: Annabelle Corleone

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annabelle_Corleone