Originally Posted by
Scubatooth
Good Samaritan laws cover everyone as long as you don't do anything grossly stupid.
Originally Posted by
moeve
I actually asked a guy to put on a pair of gloves and please hold a compress down while I fixed it - I simply needed an extra pair of hands. He refused telling me the lady could sue him!
Sadly this is what a lot of people assume, and so they don't get involved and why people die.
I agree with you at the fundamental level, but I think there are some details to understand.
1. Good Samaritan laws vary from state to state. In some states, they only cover you if you are formally trained/certified to administer aid. This is partially why I continue to maintain (and think everyone else should get) a basic lay responder certification. Also, such training will actually help you understand what to do in different situations.
2. In the US, anyone can sue anyone for just about anything. Good Samaritan laws do not prevent litigation from being initiated, but they are legal protection for the responder during the legal procedures that may follow.
I feel like there are also laws on the books in some locales that demand action from trained responders, and hold some liability against them if they fail to act. Sort of like a reverse Good Samaritan law...but this may be only for actual first responders and doctors?