Man's Driver's License Suspended For Condition He Doesn't Have

Wife Tells BMV Todd Allen Has Narcolepsy

Posted: 07/21/2011
Last Updated: 669 days ago

A Morristown man is fuming after the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles' decision to suspend his license for a medical condition he doesn't have.

Todd Allen said when he and his wife split up in 2009, the judge gave him their car. Allen said his ex-wife was not pleased with the judge's decision and told the BMV that he had narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder.

That allegation launched years of doctor visits and sleep studies for Allen, and notes from his doctors show he does not have narcolepsy, 6News' Joanna Massee reported.

The BMV monitors Allen's health so closely that in September, they wanted another doctor's note reporting how many hours of sleep he gets a night and if he has lost or gained weight.

Allen's doctor said he could lose a few pounds, but he isn't overweight.

"I received a letter from the BMV that they had reinstated my driver's license, and it says they are wanting to monitor my weight, wanting to know if I've lost any weight or gained any weight," Allen said.

Allen's doctor wanted him to lose a few pounds to improve his mild case of sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the symptoms of the sleep disorder.

Since the allegations, Allen has participated in several sleep studies and said he's getting tired of them.

"I'm on Medicaid, so the taxpayers are paying for it," Allen said.

Despite doctors' notes that said Allen does not have narcolepsy, the BMV keeps suspending his license.

Allen said he has never received a ticket. Still, the BMV suspends his license when he doesn't get his medical paperwork in on time.

"I provide all documentation that they ask for, and they come back again and ask for more," Allen said.

Last year, Allen couldn't register to vote because he did not have a valid license.

"They kind of violate peoples' lives," he said.

BMV spokesman Dennis Rosebrough said anyone can report another person's medical condition. State officials will conduct a preliminary investigation, and if the complaint could be true, the driver must prove his or her health.

"The system has worked extremely well," Rosebrough said. "This is all done in the context of the report from the physician and from the review of our medical panel. We believe these decisions are based on the best medical evidence available to us."

Allen and his wife have since gotten back together.


Indianapolis , IN  
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