2007-04-12 16:23:24 · 6 answers · asked by Amanda L 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Basically that if you injure someone while trying to save them (ie CPR or something) they can't turn around and sue you
2007-04-12 16:26:29 · answer #1 · answered by Alecto 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good Samaritan Laws are put in place to protect those who try to help people in need from legal liability. Good Samaritan Laws protect ordinary citizens when they decide to help another person in need of help and inadvertently cause that person harm. There is no requirement for an average citizen to help someone in need. Only those who have duty to act, like police, firefighters, doctors, and other professionals, must help someone in need.
An example: The car in front of you swerves off the road, flips, and starts on fire. You immediately stop, jump out of your car, and pull the other driver to safety. The other driver suffered a spinal fracture during the accident and your actions have paralyzed this person for life. If a good Samaritan Law exists in your state, you have no legal liability for this injury.
2007-04-12 23:37:13 · answer #2 · answered by msi_cord 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a law protecting those who try to do the right thing and help others out. Before the good samaritan laws, if you injured someone while trying to help them (e.g. breaking a rib while performing CPR, or dropping someone on the way out of a burning building, giving them a concussion), they could sue you or file charges.
2007-04-12 23:31:09 · answer #3 · answered by Kenny S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At common law, a person owed no duty to assist or rescue another person who was in danger of losing life or limb, unless that person placed the victim in the position of being in danger in the first place.
At common law, if you undertook to perform a task, even if it was voluntary, you owed a duty to perform it in a way that would not cause harm to any others.
So over time, when people found themselves injured, or in an emergency situation, and passersby tried to help, them, the victim could sue the rescuer if, provided they can prove this, the rescuer performed their task in a negligent manner.
Leave it to the courts to impose liability upon those who would preserve and protect life and limb.
Eventually the various state legislatures began enacting "good samaritan laws" to protect people who otherwise try to help someone in an emergency. The public policy behind this is obvious: we want our citizens to help each other out in an emergency without fear of being sued.
That's it. End of story.
2007-04-12 23:44:47 · answer #4 · answered by krollohare2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a law that requires you to do something when someone is injured and if you dont do anything you can get in a lot of trouble
2007-04-12 23:27:28 · answer #5 · answered by kilzer52 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
TO HELP THOSE IN NEED
2007-04-12 23:30:33 · answer #6 · answered by antony m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋