good samaritan law.

[Mortblanc]

This is link of those links where someone that knows nothing about the law and nothing about medical treatment has written an internet blog.

In my state a doctor must harm someone "with intent" to be sued for malpractice. The insurance companies settle many claims prior to trial to avoid court where people that have no training are placed on juries and render huge settlements in spite of the laws. Most of the time these huge settlements are dismissed on appeal, since appeals courts follow the book rather than emotion. The dismissal of the settlements is never covered in the news. The amounts of the settlement are seldom disclosed because they are lower tan the cost of the trial and not the whopping imaginary sums seen in the tabloids.

Most of our laws are written as Jonas has stated and were passed to avoid the "don't get involved" syndrome those lawsuits were promoting. Our God Samaritan Laws also cover any citizen rendering aid. You are protected from lawsuit as long as you did not do anything on purpose you knew would harm the victim.

The case will never get to trial.

It would be the same for caned peaches or jam given to a starving man.

There is a different thought process about this between urban and rural folk, not just U.S. and GB. Here in the rural areas of the States if you try to do a good turn for someone, and they take you to court over your charity, the next thing in line is a couple of phone calls and a good "butt whipping"!