Virginia "Good Samaritan" Law Is

¶ … Virginia "Good Samaritan" law is Chapter 493, Section 8.01-225 of the Code of Virginia. It was amended and passed most recently on April 9, 2000.It is divided into four sections. It includes this subtitle: "PERSONS RENDERING EMERGENCY CARE, OBSTETRICAL SERVICES EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY." Section A describes the types of actions that fall under the "Good Samaritan" law.

They include anyone who "In good faith, renders emergency care or assistance, without compensation, to any ill or injured person..." In any life-threatening emergency, It specifically exempts assistance to women in labor unless gross negligence is present, and specifically notes a doctor in that situation would not have access to the woman's medical records. It covers anyone who gives epinepherine for life-threatening allergy reaction, and to anyone who helps when asked to by police or other emergency personnel, including handling dangerous substance such gasoline or other hazardous materials.

It specifically protects licensed medical workers, as well as anyone who has cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and uses those skills, including using a defibrillator, describing these protections in great detail. It includes National Ski Patrol volunteers. It specifically addresses school employees, and authorizes those trained to do so to administer insulin or glucagon to students with diabetes, either as scheduled or in a diabetic emergency. Section B. specifically emphasizes the protections afforded to licensed physicians and other trained medical personnel who render emergency aid in good faith.

It includes dispatchers, medical instructors and advisors. It protects any agency that keeps a defibrillator available in case of emergency. The only way a person can sue is for gross negligence or carelessness and recognizes that in an emergency, those rendering aid may not know everything it would be useful to know about the person being helped. Section C.

specifically protects people in specific occupations: telecommunications, when those skills are used in response to an emergency, and others who may help in rescue or recovery, such as miners (not working in rescue on their own property). This means that rescue personnel such as police, fire fighters or emergency medical technicians can ask someone else to help extricate someone from a hole, and the person helping will not be liable.

It does not mean that a mining company is automatically exempt from liability if they have a mining accident, but when assisting others, gross negligence or willful misconduct must be present for them to be sued. Finally, in Section D, the law specifically states that protection from this law does not include any liability from the operation of a motor vehicle.

It also defines very clearly what the law means by "compensation." Since police and firefighters are salaried, they are "compensated" for their work, including for work they perform during an emergency. In this law, it also does not mean gifts of services. Examples given are ski lift tickets, training (for example to learn CPR or how to operate a defibrillator), or lodging. It.