Hypothetical: Say you could save someone's life, but choose not too, are you liable?

[cycosis]

Two situations. No personal experience. What would you do?

Say you've got a fat roommate and you know he/she suffers from hypertension and has a hear attack or stops breathing. You know CPR, but you loath this individual and the idea of performing it on this person disgusts you so you choose not to. You still call 911 immediately, paramedics arrive, attempt to revive said person, but cannot. Are you guilty of murder/manslaughter?

You're at a party. A couple underage girls are present and are experimenting with drugs. One ends up getting too hooped up, gets raped, and you come across her half naked and not breathing when you go to use the pisser. You call 911 immedaitely of course, but do you attempt CPR? Shes already in a compromising position. What if she wakes up before paramedics get there and shes so fucked out of her head that she accuses you of raping her?

In a day and age where you can barely defend yourself in a home invasion for fear of being sued or imprisoned, what would you do?

[xxviet]

Situation 1. If he was fat already hes half way to dieing anyways, he should have taken care of himself and got into better shape, wouldn't really feel guilty.

Situation 2. Would not touch her, if she accuses... you go to court ask for ALL dna samples. Then when you are found Not guilty, counter sue her ass and make money.

Situation 3. Call up my asian hommies, they could rob me, they could kill me, but they wont be leaving alive

[FraserB]

I have a bunch of my first aid certs, thankfully haven't had to use them though.

What we were told is that we are not required by law to render aid further than calling 911. However, if I do start giving someone CPR or administering aid, I can't stop until there is someone equally or better qualified to take over from me. So basically if I see you bleeding on the side of the road I can either call 911 and tell them what I see and keep going or I can stop. If I stop I have to stay there until the paramedics arrive and take over.

There are also good samaritan laws that do protect those giving aid. I still have to ask for your permission to help you unless you are non-responsive.

I'd probably help out in both situations, I don't think I could hate someone enough to stand by and watch them die, I would also feel pretty crappy after. As for the second situation, thats why there are good samaritan laws in place.

[95EagleAWD]

1) Legally, maybe not. Morally, absolutely. You have the training to perhaps save someone's life and you CHOOSE not to do it. Not only is that murder in my book, it makes you a huge piece of shit.

2) Yes, of course. But maybe get someone else in there to vouch for you as well.


Honestly, if you CHOOSE to leave someone to die, you're a piece of trash.

[syritis]

just as fraser said. You are never required to provide first aid. Unless your at work and the company has identified you as a first responder, then you are required.

if you attempt CPR, you cannot stop until a doctor or EMT has told you to stop. or you are "too tired to continue"
I'm not sure if an officer can tell you to discontinue CPR.

the good samaritan laws says that when a victim is unable to agree/disagree the first responder has the choice to help or not without any legal recourse. the gray area is when the victim is in shock and/or not thinking clearly, I believe they still have to agree/disagree. If the victim is a minor, the parents/guardian has the choice to accept or decline first aid. If the guardian is not present, first responder has the choice.

[broken_legs]

legally, you are only liable if youbegin CPR. You may not stop until parammedics arrive.

you may also be held liable if you incorrectoyperform first aid and fuck that person up more.

honestly, better for you to just not help

[syritis]

Originally posted by broken_legs
legally, you are only liable if youbegin CPR. You may not stop until parammedics arrive.

you may also be held liable if you incorrectoyperform first aid and fuck that person up more.

honestly, better for you to just not help

you are never liable as long as your acting with best intentions. this means when the EMT/CPS arrives you'll be required to give detailed information on the entire event including time, date, first assessment of the victim, first aid provided, secondary assessment and ongoing care.

[CUG]

There's only a small few people who I loathe enough to watch die, and unless it was any of them:

1.) I'd perform chest compressions, and emerg breathing until EMS got there. Again, to loathe someone enough that you'd let them die in front of you would hopefully mean you have a high tolerance for guilt. If ever you wanted to one day search for peace in your life, you would eventually realize how evil you actually are/were to smugly and carelessly allow a person to pass away in front of you, know that you could have done something to put off the grief the family experienced, by doing something to give them more time with the person THEY care about.

2.) This is a legit concern. I would find as many reliable witness' as possible before doing ANYthing. If you've done diligence and contacted ems, stay on the phone with them?

[ZenOps]

Tough call.

In a mexican standoff, where I could shoot a unknown nameless guy whos about to shoot Rob Anders...

I don't think I would pull the trigger. I doubt Rob would do the same for me, I even doubt he wouldn't shoot through me to shoot the other guy.

But in the cases you mention, I would probably jump in regardless of potentially being the "Hero that is always punished for his actions".

So there is a limit to where I will jump in and to what level. If I know the guy/girl has Dengue fever, no mouth to mouth.

[dexlargo]

Originally posted by broken_legs
legally, you are only liable if youbegin CPR. You may not stop until parammedics arrive.

you may also be held liable if you incorrectoyperform first aid and fuck that person up more.

honestly, better for you to just not help

Originally posted by syritis


you are never liable as long as your acting with best intentions. this means when the EMT/CPS arrives you'll be required to give detailed information on the entire event including time, date, first assessment of the victim, first aid provided, secondary assessment and ongoing care.

It depends on what your training is. If you're an emergency room doctor, then you're held to the standard of the emergency room doctor. If you've only got basic first aid (or less), obviously the standard is much lower.

The good samaritan laws protect you from suits for negligence (oops, I fucked up, but I was only trying to help!), but I'm pretty sure that they don't protect you in the case of gross negligence. Gross negligence is when you do something completely retarded, even if it is well intentioned. Like say, cutting a person's chest open to remove what they're choking on. Obviously if you're an emergency room doctor, it's something much less dramatic to get to gross negligence, like doing chest compressions even though you've detected a pulse (Is that wrong? I think so, but I don't know, I'm not an emergency room doctor).

[Gurpy]

I could be wrong on this, but if you have training I thought that you have the right to choose whether you start treatment or not. If you start and then stop it's considered abandonment.

[CHICHARITZHI]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ZenOps
[B]Tough call.

In a mexican standoff, where I could shoot a unknown nameless guy whos about to shoot Rob Anders...


he's already dead before me..lol

[master hec0]

Originally posted by 95EagleAWD
1) Legally, maybe not. Morally, absolutely. You have the training to perhaps save someone's life and you CHOOSE not to do it. Not only is that murder in my book, it makes you a huge piece of shit.

2) Yes, of course. But maybe get someone else in there to vouch for you as well.


Honestly, if you CHOOSE to leave someone to die, you're a piece of trash.

[kvg]

Originally posted by FraserB
I have a bunch of my first aid certs, thankfully haven't had to use them though.

What we were told is that we are not required by law to render aid further than calling 911. However, if I do start giving someone CPR or administering aid, I can't stop until there is someone equally or better qualified to take over from me. So basically if I see you bleeding on the side of the road I can either call 911 and tell them what I see and keep going or I can stop. If I stop I have to stay there until the paramedics arrive and take over.

.

FraserB is on the ball. I took first aid earlier this year and this is what I understand to be true.

[Jay911]

Originally posted by CUG
I'd perform chest compressions, and emerg breathing

Somewhat off topic, but the latest iteration of CPR guidelines (at least if it hasn't changed... again) for the layman involves only compressions, no ventilations (breathing).

[CUG]

Originally posted by Jay911


Somewhat off topic, but the latest iteration of CPR guidelines (at least if it hasn't changed... again) for the layman involves only compressions, no ventilations (breathing).

If the chick's hot though..

[Thaco]

Legally you only need to administer CPR if you are the one who caused the person to require it.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by Thaco
Legally you only need to administer CPR if you are the one who caused the person to require it.

did you just make that up or do you have a reputable source for this?

[Aniki]

Claim you don't know CPR.

[st184]

http://www.webmd.com/news/20080311/f...ve-ccr-instead
I'm an EMT and I would never give mouth to mouth to someone other than a close friend or relative. CCR and delegate for backup/foraging for AED and other equipment. If a face mask could be found or a BVM obtained then I would assist in ventilation.