Good Samaritan Rule Law and Legal Definition
Good Samaritan Rule is a doctrine of tort law rule which gives protection to a person who comes to the aid of an injured or ill person, from being sued for contributory negligence as long as the volunteer aid-giver acted with reasonable care. The Good Samaritan doctrine is used by rescuers to avoid civil liability for injuries arising from their negligence. This rule also aims to remove the fear of bystanders to attend an injured or ill person for fear of being sued for unintentional injury or wrongful death. It helps to avoid reluctance of the people to help people in distress and also can do it without any fear of legal consequences.
The main ingredients for successful invocation of the Good Samaritan doctrine are:
(1) the care rendered was performed as the result of the emergency,
(2) the initial emergency or injury was not caused by the person invoking the defense, and
(3) the emergency care was not given in a grossly negligent or reckless manner.
