Is it considered a failure to act if, a doctor does not help his stepson who is bleeding to death?

Question

I am taking a criminal class right now.

Answer 1

My first impression is yes. The doc is faced with a dilemma. Medical ethics say you can't treat a family member because of the risk of losing your objectivity. The law imposes a duty to act for the benefit of others you can help, especially family members, and especially if you have training to prevent the harm to another. In this case, I would say the law wins, because medical ethics are guidelines, whereas the law has been developed in the legislature and the courts and is, after all, the law. There would certainly be a civil case, and depending on the way the laws read wherever this doc lives, possibly a criminal case.