Is sleep apnea making your commute unsafe?
Taking the train is a fact of life in New England. But did you know that by getting on the train, you may be exposing yourself to danger caused by undiagnosed sleep apnea?
According to New Jersey Transit, more than 40 train engineers have been sidelined after being tested for sleep apnea following the deadly Hoboken train crash last year. The crash happened when a train slammed into Hoboken Station at a high rate of speed. One woman was killed and over 100 people were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board later diagnosed the engineer with sleep apnea, which may have contributed to the deadly accident.
After that crash, NJ Transit altered aspects of its sleep apnea screening process. 373 engineers were screened over the course of the last year, and 57 of them were referred for sleep studies. Of those 57, a stunning 44 were diagnosed with sleep apnea. They were removed from service until they could be treated by doctors. The majority of them have returned to service since.
Other transportation companies, including the MTA, are in the process of testing tens of thousands of employees. Roughly 20 percent of the 10,000 employees that have already been screened by MTA have been flagged for risk of undiagnosed sleep apnea.
What Do I Do If I Am Injured in a Train Accident in New Jersey?
New Jersey is no stranger to train accidents. As a matter of fact, the very first train crash in United States history occurred in New Jersey, in the countryside between Hightstown and Spotswood in 1833.
If you are injured in a train accident in New Jersey, you likely have an injury claim against a variety of parties, including potentially the engineer, the transit company, the manufacturer of the train and more. Or law firm is ready and able to assist you in pursuing damages, including pain and suffering, lost wages, medical costs, and more from all possible defendants.
