What is a Good Samaritan?
The phrase originates in the Bible when (of all people) a lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. (Luke: 10:30-37) Jesus told a parable of an injured person who was ignored by various upstanding citizens but was ultimately helped by a foreigner from Samaria who became known as the “Good Samaritan.” The point is that we should act like the Good Samaritan and show mercy on others. Instead of showing mercy, many people move to the other side of the road and then blame lawyers, who they think might sue them if they negligently help. The Law Washington, however, has a law, RCW 4.24.300, that protects most people who assist at the scene of an emergency, even if their efforts aren’t perfect. Limits Of course, this law doesn’t mean that a Good Samaritan can’t be sued. There are exceptions for “willful or wanton misconduct” or even “gross negligence.” But it requires something much worse than a mistake, to not receive the benefit of the law. For instance, the Washington
