In general, good samaritan law applies to people who act in situations where they normally have no duty to act. Normally, that means lay persons. In California and some other states, the laws covering medical personel however does provide protection when they respond in emergency situations.
The good Samaritan laws across the country vary substantially, ranging in a few states to a mandatory duty for residents to act to help another under certain circumstances (with fines if you don't) to in other states covering only those like medical professionals or law enforcement officers who assist at, say, the scene of a car accident.
It was the placement of the law in the Health and Safety Code under "Emergency Medical Services" that led to problems with the California law originally, as it was decided by California's Supreme Court that the law applied to medical services only (and not to rescue services like pulling someone from a lake or a burning car).
It was injuries suffered by a passenger in a car accident, after a good Samaritan pulled her from the car, that led to the lawsuit in the
Van Horn case cited earlier, and it was this case that led to 2016 revisions in the law.
The 2016 revisions, however, still leave open the door to lawsuits against laypersons who aid in an emergency. There is no immunity from suit. The law only serves to limit civil liability in certain circumstances.
One concern in what Twinkie1 describes is the labeling of laypeople as a "medical team" if they are not medical professionals. That can be misleading and deceive people into thinking this "team" is something they are not. Another concern is that, if one of these laypeople were to harm an injured person by using an incorrect procedure or technique, that person could be sued. The good Samaritan law does not provide protection to a person who fumbles in their role as a good Samaritan.
You would
hope that the majority of people who see someone in need of emergency help will assist that person. That is what makes for saved lives and heroes.
But it also makes for lawsuits.
I think your suggestion is a good one, Shadowbunny. At least, I cannot see a lawsuit in it (although I suppose some shifty, shady lawyer could find a lawsuit in there somewhere
). And all of the other suggestions are good ones, too (the AED, the CPR, the first aid training). They are just not enough to prevent a lawsuit.
There was a thread on this forum several years ago that discussed good Samaritan laws. If I locate it I will provide a link ...
... yikes, I have been on this forum a long time. The thread is from 2008 and is
slightly on-topic (forum members wandered off topic a lot
):
https://forum.freeadvice.com/other-crimes-federal-state-4/choice-murder-412679.html