If a person refuses medical attention, even if dying ...?

Question

do the cops and the paramedics have to abide by that?

Say, for instance, a person took too many pills on purpose but didn't want their kid to be the one to find them, if at the end there they called the cops to come get their body, can they refuse medical help?

Answer 1

As long as a person is conscious and coherent the emergency services have to listen to the requests. If they believe the person is not of sound mind then they can ignore the person and continue treatment.

Answer 2

No. In my jurisdiction (NC) if you are a harm to yourself or others we can have you evaluated by a doctor and committed under the guidelines in the Involuntary Commitment Laws.

If you got a really bad cut from your lawnmower while working in your yard you could refuse treatment. But not if you took a bunch of pills in an attempt to harm yourself.

If you were injured bad enough without it being an attempt at suicide and refused medical treatment there is another option. If the EMTs/Firemen feel you are in need of medical attention then they can wait for you to pass out or exhibit some sort of obvious inability to care for yourself. At that time you are considered to grant consent since most people would logically seek medical attention at that point if they were able.

Answer 3

If they have a terminal illness and have a signed DNS order (do not resuccitate), and the medical crisis was not self-induced, then I think that's the only time doctors would not intervene. If a suicide calls 911 and asks for no medical help, the police/emts will think the person is crazy (simply attempting suicide means you're mentally imbalanced) and provide medical care despite any protestations. Suicide attempts are enough to get a person 51-50ed (that's what we call it in Calif. anyway), i.e. get thrown in a mental ward for two days.
If someone wants to commit suicide and not have a loved one find they body, they should shoot themselves in the head while jumping off a bridge/cliff.

Answer 4

Being an Emergency Medical Technician(ambulance guy) for 4 years I can say this. In most states If the person is conscious alert and oriented to person,place time, and situation and they refuse medical care we as healthcare providers are required by law to uphold that persons wishes and not provide any medical care other than what the individual patient sees fit. We cannot transport a person against thier will. Simply put its kidnapping and we as healthcare providers can be held accountable for our actions.

However as in most states there is always a clause regarding a persons mental capacity with regards to harming themselves. There in we are not kidnapping or violatiing that persons rights. That goes back to the ability to refuse treatment and transport based on mental state. I can say with out question that I have never been called to a suicidal person call and not transported them to a medical facility. Usually those are a cry for help real or imaginary that we to not ignore.

Something else to consider. I most states it is illegal to attempt or commit suicide. That is also another way we get that person transported. The police can take them in to custody and we are then " ordered by the police" to take that person in our ambulance for treatment and transport to a medical facility. Sometimes the police will ride along with us in the back of the ambulance or simply follow behind in their patrol car.

I am a little disturbed by you asking this. It sounds like to me that you may be planning to hurt your self. Let me say this. As an EMT I have run into all manner of horrible and vile things and people and nothing I have seen in this world makes taking your own life worth it. PLEASE SEEK HELP.....CALL 911 WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE 24/7.

Answer 5

yes technically they can fill out a dnr which is a do not recessitate form which says that if they are dead dont try to bring them back if they have a living will then they could put in it they dont want any medical treatment but if they call the paramedics and say i am dieing come get me then the paramedics will try to save thier life

Answer 6

Yes. I have had to call an ambulence for someone (not a suicide, though) and the paramedics had to ask the person if they wanted to go to the hospital. If they were unconcious, then they would have just taken the person.

Answer 7

Yes, someone can always refuse medical help for themselves if they are able to express their wishes.....

The Supreme Court decided that in Cruzan, among other cases -- the right to refuse medical treatment is absolute (assuming you are not declared mentally incompetent before that).

Answer 8

well that is a touchy subject ---

technically people don't have to do anything.

There are usually public safety rules - such as if someone is in trouble then it is our duty to help them ---

however, some people have a living will refusing treatment -

some doctors choose doing what they think is best for the patient over what the patient thinks is best for a patient...

that is a medical ethics issue.

Personally I'm on the side of - let them die. I myself prefer natural death over medically assisted survival - I'm also a full body donor at death.

I do not consent to treatment of any kind without my permission -

however - it appears common that first responders and hostpital staff will blatantly ignore your wishes...

and if your behaviour is seen as "self harming" they may "remove your civil rights" and force treatment without consent either by passing your power of attorney to a family member or the state (but ultimately it goes to the doctor/first responder and eventually the courts

frankly though it is a violation of individual rights... but it's a police state what do you expect. individual rights in general only exist for those that can protect them.


If they are of "sound mind" - but knowing of self harm may rule the person as " delusional or non coherent" in thought.

It should be allowed though

Your only recourse at the end is to sue them - especially in the case that their actions somehow "injured you" on religious or physical etc.. grounds. The right to dignity should be allowed.

As well the right to natural death, rather than artificial sustenance - or medical treatment that contradicts relgious values such as blood transfusion.


If you'd like to protect your right to die - make sure you have your living will worked out as well as a person who will act as your power of attorney once they try to strip you of your rights to self determination --- also make sure you are DNR (do not resusitate) and list all forms of treatment you refuse especially invasive, surgical or medication.

Answer 9

If a person refuses medical attention, that is the final word.

Answer 10

depends on state laws, in our state if the person is responsive and they refuse medical treatment they have that right. However if they are unconsious then medics have the right to work on that person.