I took an American Heart Association CPR course this week. To be honest, I was dreading it all day. But to my surprise, I found it really interesting! The instructor talked a little bit about why people are hesitant to help out when an emergency arises. They are afraid they will get sued.
At my gym the next day, I was telling people about this great CPR class I took and about what the instructor said about people being afraid of getting sued. My trainer piped up and said that you are protected from getting sued only if you are certified in CPR. That didn’t sound right to me.
Turns out, he was wrong!
In Massachusetts, if you render emergency care, as long as you do it in good faith, for no compensation, and without “gross negligence or wanton misconduct,” you are fine.
As a society, we have to encourage people to be willing to step in and help others when they are in trouble and all 50 States have similar Good Samartian Laws. So the next time you encounter someone having a heart attack in the street, don’t be afraid to help! Oh and if you haven’t taken CPR in a while, sign up for a class! It could really make a difference if/when the time comes.
