What are Good Samaritan Laws?
Good Samaritan laws grant immunity to volunteers who assist strangers in emergency situations, including using an AED on another person. These laws vary from state to state but generally limit or eliminate the liability of a volunteer rescuer. Under most of these laws, liability is also limited or eliminated for the physician who provides medical authorization, the trainer and the deployment personnel, the premises owners and other enablers of an AED program. Good Samaritan AED legislation has been passed in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia. In addition, Federal Good Samaritan Legislation has been enacted under the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA).
