Leaving an accident

Don't beat yourself up, or let any one else do it. Your freezing up , then being in the way worse then not trying in my book. I always try to help, but we are wired different ( and that's ok) . Last bad one I encountered, the car rolled about 8 times , in on coming traffic. Couple and their young child. Getting the child out( needed to leave her in the car seat , to act as a back board ) was a real trick. She ended up being past through the windshield opening. Once police and EMS showed , stepped back and talked to one of the officers. Gave a thirty second statement and pointed out my truck was in the way, told to have a nice day. Just glad we were able to get all three out, if it went up? None of the doors would open. In conditions as this , be able to help or stay back.

 

Hi not, apparently, all 50 states have some kind of " Good Samaritan Law". Whether you can be punished for not observing that law ( like in the Seinfeld case) varies. And it's not, like Pedigreed sez, that my time is more important than their lives. There are people that don't do well in those situations, and responders will likely have one more sick person to deal with. Clearly, common sense would dictate, if you are the only one that can help, most will, but if there's already a helper, the last thing they need, is me throwing up all over the place.

 

Before I started driving, I was in rescue. I really wanted to be a fireman, but that was locked up politically. So I joined the volunteer rescue. Worked the jaws of life and seen quite a few fatalities. I wanted to help. Joined the PD and got a very strong dislike for people. Had a woman attack me for putting her man down after he punched her lights out. I never made that mistake again.

There was a driver who saw a 4 go on a field trip. The driver, pulled on to the shoulder jumped out of his truck, and ran down into the woods to help. Some drunk slammed into the back of the semi, and killed himself. Do you know that the courts awarded his family the lawsuit because that truck didnt have the warning triangles out?

I know what you're saying MG and I do agree with the brave part, but I wouldn't stop either.

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

A licensed doctor, paramedic, EMT, Volunteer Fire Fighter do not have a duty to act on an accident scene except when compensated for the act. This is from an EMT site:

Some untrained citizens fall under “duty to act” or “duty to rescue” laws. For instance, in most industrialized nations, spouses have a duty to attempt to rescue each other – including all fifty states of the U.S. Travel industry personnel have a duty to assist their patrons in emergencies. Parents also have a duty to rescue and assist minor children including “in loco parentis” caregivers like school teachers and babysitters.

U.S. common law dictates that there is no general duty to act in an emergency, however, at least eight states have enacted laws requiring citizens to assist strangers in peril. These states include Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, Rode Island and Vermont. You can be charged with a misdemeanor for not responding to someone in danger. Citizens are never required to place themselves in peril. This allows for so much subjectivity that the laws are generally ignored by law makers and citizens.

In opposition to citizen duty to act laws, Texas has a statute stating that no citizen has a duty to assist another against their voluntary will.

- See more at: http://theemtspot.com/2009/06/23/what-is-the-duty-to-act/#sthash.pyS3LAKN.dpuf

 

Similar justification is often used by parents who won't discipline their young 'uns.

Do what you know is right and you'll be just fine.

 

I think all jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada have a "Good Samaritan" law, but those laws are to protect anyone giving aid in good faith from being sued/prosecuted for any less-than-desireable outcome (certain emergency/public aid personnel in certain jurisdictions are not covered, but may have coverage under other legislation). Quebec, to my knowledge, is the only jurisdiction that has any law "compelling" aid because their legal system is based on civil law, not common law (Is Louisiana's legal system also/partly civil vs. common?) Anyhow, I could find no examples of prosecutions, let alone convictions, under Quebec's law. Really, it would be a no-win regardless of circumstances and outcome.

I am in full agreement with the rest of your post.

 

I don't think you were out of line - if there's already a flurry of people on the scene, 5 phone calls to 911 . . . unless you have some special skill set to offer, there's little need for another person on scene.

Then again - if there was a bunch of memememe's running around holding up their stupid cell phones taking video, I'd be the first to get in there and start screaming at folks.