It is hard to understand the law because there are so many variations of the law and fifty different states with laws. It is harder to understand the law when the person explaining it to you is not a lawyer or worse, wrong.

It is hard to understand the law because there are so many variations of the law and fifty different states with laws. It is harder to understand the law when the person explaining it to you is not a lawyer or worse, wrong.

You don’t go to law school for fun. Law school is NOT fun. You go to law school to understand how the law works. Law School is just the first step. You must study and understand what is going on to understand an area of the law.

If you did not go to law school, and you need legal help, ask a lawyer.

I got a question the other day from a client. He was preparing to give a speech to a group of lodge owners and wanted to make sure he was going to say the right thing about the Good Samaritan Act. He had read a lot of websites and particularly one website and thought he understood the issues.

He did not. Neither did the websites. In fact, one of the websites, which was based on the course and book he had just taken described what the Good Samaritan law was based for that course. The course, book and class were wrong too.

My client was off, and the website was wrong. The problem is the wrong was enough to get you in trouble as a professional, program college or business.

You really need to beware of non-lawyers telling you what the law says.

First, there is not one Good Samaritan Law, there are at least fifty, in reality, there are more than 150. Each state has its own Good Samaritan law. Many states have many different laws covering rescue, first aid, AED use, the Heimlich maneuver and other aspects of providing support to injured people without becoming liable.

Everyone explains the Good Samaritan law as you are not liable if you help someone in need and are not paid for that help. Sort of.

All the following are requirements from different state Good Samaritan laws. You are covered…

• If you have the right training
  
  • Some states list the training you must have
    
  • You follow the standards of a specific training organization (dependent upon the state).
    
    • American Red Cross
      
    • American Heart Association
      
    • National Safety Council
      
    • National Ski Patrol
      
    • Boy Scouts of America
      
    • A course as determined by the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene
      
    • Department of Public Health
      
    • director of health
      
    • mining enforcement and safety administration of the bureau of mines of the department of interior
      
    • Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
      
• If you don’t act outside the scope of your training
  
• You act like a reasonable or ordinary prudent person
  
• If you are not being paid for your services
  
• You are not in a hospital or in some states on hospital grounds
  
• You are a member of an organization that exists to provide emergency services
  
• You act in good faith
  
• You have been called to act by the county sheriff
  
• You are paid but not to provide first aid, only to provide public services
  
• You did not act willfully, wantonly or recklessly or by gross negligence
  
• The care is provided at the scene of the accident
  
• You are at work
  
• You are not at work
  
• You’ve been trained in the use of the AED
  
• You’ve been trained in the use of the epinephrine
  
• You are not the one that caused the injury or placed the person in peril
  
• Or you have not obtained consent
  

You are NOT covered by Good Samaritan Laws in some states if….

• “…or when incidental to a business relationship existing between the employer or principal of the person rendering such care…”
  
• Shall not apply if the care inures to your employer
  
• Where the person has not consented to the care
  
• Are working as a guide or outfitter
  
  • Whether or Not you are being paid as a guide
    
    • If you are required to have 1^st aid you are not covered
      
  • Whether or Not being paid as a physician
    
    • But some states allow you to be paid later as a physician
      
• You placed the person in peril
  
  • Meaning any part of the trip as a guide
    

Just look at the requirement that the care be rendered at the scene of the accident. You are helping someone get out of the backcountry, and you adjust their band aid, away from the accident scene. In man states you are not covered by the state Good Samaritan act.

As a Guide are you covered by the Good Samaritan Act? NO!

My client’s confusion was the fine line between compensation for your services, and compensation as a guide or employee, because you are paid to provide first aid. Meaning as a guide, who may or may not be required to provide first aid or have first aid training, are you covered under the Good Samaritan law, if you provide first aid training to one of your guests. In most cases no.

There is no Good Samaritan coverage if:

    You are employed and part of your job is to provide first aid

        Because you are required to have a level of first aid training

        The industry requires people to be trained in first aid

    The guest knows you are trained in first aid and relies on that knowledge you gave them

    The landowner or river owner requires it under a permit or concession

    You placed the guest in the peril that caused the injury.

        You picked the location where the guide is fishing

        You picked the route up the mountain

    You told the guest to follow the map you gave them on the ride or hike

You are a guide, and you took the client out; you are not covered by the Good Samaritan laws in most states.

You are a guide, the definition meaning you will take care of the client.

And the issues above are not changed in the Outdoor Recreation Industry by using Independent Contractors. In all cases, the guide and the outfitter are liable.

Consequently, a website, class or book cannot in one paragraph tell you whether your actions are going to be covered by the Good Samaritan law.

I hope you are covered by the Good Samaritan law, but find out for sure.

Do Something

It sucks but getting legal advice from someone other than attorney does not work.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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