Hey all.
I’ve heard a lot about ‘good samaritan’ laws, but when I google for information (especially historical information), all I tend to get is gobledygook. Can anyone point me towards a history of these laws? When they started, and what they’ve encompassed? If someone could boil it down to nuts and bolts, even better. Thanks!
What is the good samaritan law?
Source: http://www.ci.falcon-heights.mn.us/nlhandbook/misc/goodsam.html
However, not everyone thinks this way - see Good Samaritan Laws Are a Bad Idea
Well I know you will be protected from lawsuits if you try to help someone, BUT if the person states they do not wish your help you cannot touch them or they can sue your pants off. An unconscious person is assumed to want help, so you would be protected in this situation.
Duckster, that has nothing to do with this discussion. First, the OP asks for HISTORY, not a definition. Second, that link about G.S. laws being a bad idea is about an entirely different kind of law, the Required Assistance law.
The problem with the question is that each state passes its own version of the law, making the tracing of its history a formidable undertaking. Here are some typical sites:
http://nsc.jbpub.com/FirstAidNet/exercises_visit.cfm?id=104&url=http://premack.com/columns/1996/960725.htm
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1056139973152
And a site with a big honkin’ PDF file on State Liability Laws for Charitable Organizations and Volunteers: