As I was shutting down my computer at home this morning something caught my eye. I was dumbfounded by what I saw, and of course I had to read it. The title of the article was something to the effect of Good Samaritan Can Be Sued. When I clicked the video link it showed a man saving a woman from a car that was stuck in a flash flood. I thought to myself, what on earth would that woman have to complain about? Turns out the story was actually about a woman who had pulled her friend from out of a car after she crashed. The friend thought she was saving her friend from potential death if the car was to go up in flames. Apparently the friend that was saved didn't view it as kindly and now wants to sue her friend for attempting to save her because she is now paralyzed.
The immediate correlation in my mind was to thoughts of burglars suing people for getting hurt while robbing their house and winning. I couldn't believe that someone would be so callous to a person's attempt to save them from danger. So my question for this week is, what is your take on the whole thing? Do you think someone should sue a 'good samaritan' just because it didn't turn out quite the way they hoped?
Personally I'm more of the opinion that the person should be grateful that someone tried to help them, rather then taking them to the cleaners.
What do you think?
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 50
I can't count the times I've seen something that SOMEONE could have stepped in and HELPED a potentially BAD situation....the most common response of why they didn't was fear of being sued.
I ran across a wreck in the middle of NOWHERE.....the boy was bleeding to death. I did what needed to be done.
HIV...Suing be damned..I did what I could LIVE with.... watching HIM die was NOT optional for me.
My VERY young part time girl...hears ANYTHING...and yells out I'd sue. I've informed her BLUNTLY...that people with that attitude is WHY Dr's are so expensive....why Workers Comp is outrageous and we ALL have to have so many insurances to operate a simply business.
And yes...I had my chance to sue many times...INCLUDING being rear ended at a RED LIGHT by the local police Dept.....my thoughts were ACCIDENTS happen!
Maybe more people need to use Websters and LEARN the definition to ACCIDENT!
Sorry..but a bit hostile on the whole demanor of our societies urging to GET RICH quick...of anothers hard working back!
Dana
That is why many Dr's won't treat emergencies (Is there a Dr. in the house?), they are afraid of getting sued!
Let the bastards rot!
(When I broke my femur in grade 13 gym, my dad wanted to sue the school: I totally refused. Accidents do happen.... and to some of us more than others!)
HOWEVER, on the other hand, if you are the kind of person who does like to help, I think you should get trained in what to do. Part of being ready for any emergency is having a plan, and that includes training. When I was trained as a lifeguard we were taught to be very careful if we thought there might be the possibility of a spinal injury, and were taught some of the signs. Often a person who doesn't know what they are doing can cause more harm than good.
Unfortunately, there are also people out there who just want to be in the limelight and will pretend they know what they are doing, when in fact it is all an act. They can cause a lot of damage, both to individuals and to property; they can get in the way at a time when every moment counts.
I had no training (Unless the middle school emergency 1st aid course counts) when I stopped for that young boy I mentioned above.
I was scared SHITLESS.....there was NO ONE else.
His LIFE and ARM was in my control. Turniquit (sp?) or NOT? He was a mechanic by trade (though young enough to learn a new trade if necc) and had sliced through and artery.
There wasn't loads of time to deliberate the best course of action...to do so would have meant his death.
I gave myself a few minutes with extreme pressures to ATTEMPT at slowing the bleeding until help could arrive ( Which turned out to be 45min as we were in the boonies) and knew if I couldn't stop it....a turniquit WOULD HAVE to be used, and the chance of his losing his arm was immensly increased.
Thankfully I didn't need to ...the bleeding slowed with the applied pressure and twisting of a towel.
But..I am NOT certified....trained or other for that kind of situation. Many things COULD have gone wrong, for both himself as well as myself.
In an emergency....a TRUE emergency... you are not always BLESSED with enough time to contemplate ANYTHING.
JIMHO
thanks for sharing this
have a merry christmas and a happy new year
A truck driver I know was first on the scene of a rolled over car. The woman trapped inside was hysterical, so he actually climbed into her car to sit with her and calm her while they waited for EMS. He was later told that her insurance would not have covered his injuries had he been hurt, because he got into the damaged car willingly. He didn't consider that. He only wanted to comfort a frightened woman who was very grateful for his presence.
Believe me, there are plenty of people that would sue, and just as many lawyers standing behind them! Sad, but true.
Thanks for sharing
Helping Hand
God Bless and have a wonderful week!