In Colorado, as in many states, there is a law that protects people from being sued by someone they assist in an emergency where no money exchanges hands. This law is called the Good Samaritan Law.
Whether a medical professional or not, if you are at the scene of an emergency and render medical aid, the Good Samaritan Law will protect you should your attempt at help fail or cause further injury to the victim.
This law was designed to help save the lives of injured parties in crisis without the good Samaritan fearing consequences for their unselfish act.
Anyone can benefit from the Good Samaritan Law, including::
If the person helping the injured party does not receive money for their act of kindness, they can not be held accountable should the victim sustain further injury. If the person acted in good faith but caused more harm to the victim due to a mistake, they will be protected under the Good Samaritan Act.
If the person providing aid is found guilty of deliberate misconduct or gross negligence, they can be found financially liable for any damages sustained by the victim, including:
Drug overdose has become a national epidemic, partly because people are scared they’ll get arrested, fined, or imprisoned if they call the police or emergency services for help regarding an overdose.
The 911 Good Samaritan Law states that regardless of the caller’s drug use or intoxication, they will be “immune from criminal prosecution for an offense when the person reports, in good faith, an emergency drug or alcohol overdose even to a law enforcement officer…”
In Colorado, you will get protection under the 911 Good Samaritan Law if:
You do not need to speak to law enforcement about your role in the events that led to the overdose or how the overdose occurred. Once the victim is safe, you should call an attorney for advice on your next steps, if necessary.
Because most drug overdoses need quick action, this law was implemented to protect others from legal repercussions by reducing the fear of being charged with a crime, and saving lives.
The 911 Good Samaritan Law is not a free pass to indulge in drug-related activities.
Those who will not be protected under this law include:
If you are with another person who overdoses, you should contact 911 or seek immediate medical care, then reach out to an experienced Denver lawyer to learn your rights.
The Colorado Good Samaritan Act states that anyone can help save someone in an emergency without the fear of prosecution as long as the services provided to the victim are in good faith.
However, if you do not have medical training of any kind, your best response may be to immediately call for help and give the emergency responders as much assistance as possible regarding the accident, the victim, and their injuries.
Always wait for the first responders to arrive to ensure the victim stays as safe as possible.
The Good Samaritan Act does protect parties from liability should their assistance cause more harm to the victim, but the victim may still find grounds to file suit for negligence if the person who administered aid caused or contributed to the original injury or accident.
To learn more about the limits of the Good Samaritan Act and how it may apply to your case, contact a Denver personal injury lawyer.
If you suffered because of another person’s attempts at assistance, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit, and our team will help determine if you have a claim for damages. For additional information about your legal options in these situations, contact our personal injury attorneys at Hull & Zimmerman or call (303) 647-1999 today.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
Easy
to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole journey.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull & Zimmerman. Thank
you
- 
– R. Hamilton
I
would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the
most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will
continue to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my
family. Mr. Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly
appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you
– D. Hassoun
would
just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been the most
professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I will continue
to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me and my family. Mr.
Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I truly appreciate all you
have done. Again Thank you.
– Jason B.
I was
injured in a fall and the nightmare began. I found Mike Zimmerman on the
internet, read his background history and contacted his office. The Office Staff
was wonderful, patient, and helpful, even though I was probably a pain to them.
Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy. He will tell you exactly what he feels about
your case and will not sugar coat it. You will know exactly what to expect and I
appreciated the honesty! I would recommend Mike to anyone who has their life
spinning out of control because of an accident. He help me get my life back.
– Mary T.
Working through divorce and custody issues is an extremely difficult and
emotionally trying experience. Mike Zimmerman represented my interest in a
highly professional manner and protected my rights as a parent at a level that
exceeded my highest expectations. This firm’s expertise, ability and
professionalism earned my respect as well as my continued business for any legal
issues I encounter in the future.
– Michael D.
We
came across mike Zimmerman when we were involved in an accident awhile back, we
had been negotiating with the insurance company for some time and getting
nowhere with a settlement. Never knowing Mike Zimmerman when we had gone and
seen him it really surprised us that he made us feel right at home and that he
was really concerned for his clients. Mike was very upfront with us a our
lawyer, and advised us every step of the way. His associates were very
professional and office personnel was very friendly also. Mike got almost double
the settlement we were expecting and we just were very satisfied and would
highly recommend him to anyone that needs a good honest lawyer.
– Clarencec & Joy W.
We
were hit by an uninsured driver in 2006 and my husband was unable to work for
some time. Initially our own insurance really didn’t want to help us. On the
recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mr. Z and with his advice, suggestions
and hard work, we were able to get the what we needed from our insurance to help
us with our bills and medical costs. His staff was very patient with us as well
and was always available to reassure us and to answer our questions. We hope
nothing like this ever happens again, but if it was to happen, we would contact
Mr Zimmerman in a heart beat.
– G. & B O.
Rick –
Smart and nice! We were nervous and Rick put us at ease. Kept us informed. Never
thought we made a bad choice. Also, the first time I called, I talked to
Rick…impressed us very much.
– D. & S. Bratrovsky
Exceeded expectations!
– T. Thiel
I
liked the fact that I was kept up to date throughout the process. When the
accident first happened, Rick went to bat for me right away to make sure that I
was compensated for my loss of transportation. The end result in my case
exceeded my expectations and I was very pleased.
– D. Hughley
I
appreciated the effort Rick Hull presented during the difficulties that occurred
throughout the settlement and following. I felt completely at ease during the
whole process.
– Michele Wolf
I
appreciated the fact that Rick Hull always explained everything to me. No matter
how insignificant I thought the question was, he encouraged me to ask and was
very patient when I didn’t understand some aspect of the legal procedures. I
also appreciated the fact that Rick was a real person, he wasn’t stiff or
unapproachable. He was easy to talk to, to understand, and get along with. In
addition, he explained certain aspects of Colorado law thoroughly to me so that
I could make an informed decision that best suited my needs.
9:57 pm
February 27th, 2012