Good Samaritan Law

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‘The Good Samaritan Law’

The Good Samaritan Law is a legal principle that indemnifies a 'rescuer' who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being sued for 'wrongdoing'. Its purpose is to keep people from being reluctant to help a stranger in need for fear of legal repercussions in the event that they made some mistake while rendering assistance.

It is worth helping out a road accident victim to give one a certain sense of accomplishment and peace of mind. Every year Road Safety Week is celebrated to make society aware about road safety and reaffirm our own responsibility. However, in spite of our best efforts, road accidents are common in India. It is found that every 12 minutes, an Indian dies on the road and ten times that number get injured.

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That a majority of accident victims are found to succumb in the absence of prompt medical assistance, is a fact we tend to overlook. It is really hard to believe that people who are otherwise rational and caring do not always come forward to assist victims of road accidents. Go to hospitals, there are umpteen cases where the victim is not given prompt medical attention. But why is this so? Over the years people have hesitated to involve themselves with helping people in peril, for fear of being sued. The fear of police harassment often plays strongly in the ...

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