Good Samaritan Law Essays Examples

Good Samaritan law is an act in which an individual helps a stranger who is in dire need of medical assistance. The law was primarily developed for first aid situations. According to this law, an individual should not expect any type of reward from the stranger whom he is helping and consider it as a good act. The main purpose of Good Samaritan law is to encourage people to help people in need without fearing about the legal repercussions that they will have to face in case of any dire consequence with the victim.
Good Samaritan law is followed in all states. In few states; it is considered as an act of negligence if an individual who is not willing to help the person in need does not even bother to call someone else for help. If the victim is unconscious; Samaritan law states that the individual should assist them on the grounds of implied consent. However, if the victim is conscious and can reply; individual should ask for his permission to help.
There are several versions of the law, and Samaritan law is observed in all states but in different ways. In some states, volunteer is given a reward for his help but if the victim’s condition get worse due to individual’s negligence; they are charged with a penalty. In certain cases, individual is exempted from the penalty in courts. There are two conditions of exemption; firstly if the help is provided to victim on the scene of emergency and secondly, if the individual has the hope to be paid a fee by the victim; Good Samaritan law will not apply.
Samaritan law mostly does not apply to physicians or doctors who are helping patients during regular employment. Shaping the Good Samaritan law is in the hands of the courts. The court can shape it in a way that it gives more protection for citizens, or they can make the laws more narrow and rigid for the citizens.
Discussing the Good Samaritan law of different states; in California, the law provides good coverage or compensation for all types of helpers. In Oklahoma, Samaritan act protects untrained rescuers only if the care they provide is related to CPR or control bleeding.
Talking about Alabama, the Good Samaritan law protects trained rescuers and employers of public education system unless the victim suffers from cardiac attack. The rule of Alabama is considered harsh because if there is a victim who in case suffers from motor vehicle accident and is not dead; he will receive help from lay rescuer only if the rescuer is ready to take liability for any mistake.
In Vermont, untrained rescuers are paid well but one difference between Vermont and other states is it is ordered to the people of Vermont to help those in need. They don’t have a choice to leave victims in a helpless condition.
Different states have different laws, and it is necessary that one should be familiar with the Samaritan law of its own state. In order to keep oneself away from court while helping the victim an individual should seek professional help and do not accept any gifts or rewards. Moreover, an individual should not do anything they are not trained to do and take a CPR and first aid class. Individuals should always remember that being a faithful citizen of the country, a person should help the other person in need and there is never any liability in reporting an injury to authorities and letting professionals take care of it.