Do you recall the biblical story of the Good Samaritan?
If not, a quick recap – taken from Luke 10:30-37:
“Jesus answered, ‘A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbour to him who fell among the robbers?’”
The purpose of Good Samaritan laws in the U.S. is to protect those who offer a helping hand while another has been injured.
Here’s an example:
Brad is sitting on a park bench when he witnesses a crash on the street. Rory, while riding a bicycle in the bicycle lane has been struck by a vehicle and is bleeding from the leg. Brad decides to tie a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, but it doesn’t stop the bleeding enough. Rory loses a leg.
Under the Good Samaritan law, Rory cannot sue Brad for any losses associated with losing a leg since Brad was only trying to help.
There are, however, a few rare exceptions.
Negligence, or a failure to act in due care while helping at scene, can mean that the Good Samaritan laws are void. Additionally, there are a few groups of individuals who are not covered under this law (EMT, law enforcement officers, etc.).
To learn more about Good Samaritan laws and how they apply in your state, you’ll need to talk to a personal injury attorney near you.