Good Samaritan Laws

Excerpt

The premise underlying the Good Samaritan law traces its origin to the ancient biblical parable, ultimately yielding the definition of a good Samaritan as an individual who intervenes to assist another individual without a prior notion of responsibility or promise of compensation. Good Samaritan laws have their basis in the idea that consensus agreement favors good public policy to limit liability for those who voluntarily perform care and rescue in emergencies. It is well known that medical emergencies outside of the umbrella medical setting or clinical environment are common. Thus, in theory, and principle, we are improved as a society if the potential rescuers (ie, the Good Samaritans) are solely concerned about helping a person in need as opposed to worrying about the possible liability associated with assisting their fellow man or woman.