Good Samaritan Laws
51-1-29 to 51-1-29.3
51-1-29. Liability of persons rendering emergency care
Any person, including any person licensed to practice medicine and surgery pursuant to Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 and including any person licensed to render services ancillary thereto, who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an accident or emergency to the victim or victims thereof without making any charge therefor shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any act or omission by such person in rendering emergency care or as a result of any act or failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care for the injured person.
HISTORY: Ga. L. 1962, p. 534, § 1.
51-1-29.1. Liability of voluntary health care provider and sponsoring organization
(a) Without waiving or affecting and cumulative of any existing immunity from any source, unless it is established that injuries or death were caused by gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct:
(1) No health care provider licensed under Chapter 9, 11, 26, 30, 33, or 34 of Title 43 who voluntarily and without the expectation or receipt of compensation provides professional services, within the scope of such health care provider’s licensure, for and at the request of a hospital, public school, nonprofit organization, or an agency of the state or one of its political subdivisions or provides such professional services to a person at the request of such an organization, which organization does not expect or receive compensation with respect to such services from the recipient of such services; or
(2) No licensed hospital, public school, or nonprofit organization which requests, sponsors, or participates in the providing of the services under the circumstances provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be liable for damages or injuries alleged to have been sustained by the person nor for damages for the injury or death of the person when the injuries or death are alleged to have occurred by reason of an act or omission in the rendering of such services.
(b) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to change the scope of practice of any health care provider granted immunity in this Code section.
(c) This Code section shall apply only to causes of action arising on or after July 1, 1987.
HISTORY: Code 1981, § 51-1-29.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 887, § 4; Ga. L. 1987, p. 986, § 2; Ga. L. 1998, p. 859, § 1; Ga. L. 1999, p. 81, § 51; Ga. L. 2007, p. 47, § 51/SB 103.
51-1-29.2. Liability of persons or entities acting to prevent, minimize, and repair injury and damage resulting from catastrophic acts of nature
Any natural person and any association, fraternal organization, private for profit entity, not for profit entity, religious organization, or charitable organization and the officers, directors, employees, and agents of such associations, organizations, and entities, when such persons, associations, organizations, or entities are working in coordination and under the direction of an appropriate state agency, who voluntarily and without the expectation or receipt of compensation provides services or goods in preparation for, anticipation of, or during a time of emergency and in a place of emergency as declared by the Governor for the benefit of any natural person or his or her property to prevent or minimize harm to such natural person or to prevent, minimize, and repair injury and damage to such person’s property resulting from biological, chemical, or nuclear agents; terrorism; pandemics or epidemics of infectious disease; or catastrophic acts of nature, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, or wave action, or any other occurrence which warrants the declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the Governor pursuant to Code Section 38-3-51 or by a federal agency shall not be civilly liable to any natural person receiving such assistance as a result of any act or omission in rendering such service if such natural person, association, organization, or entity was acting in good faith and unless the damage or injury was caused by the willful or wanton negligence or misconduct of such natural person, association, organization, or entity. Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to amend, repeal, alter, or affect in any manner any other provision of law granting immunity or limiting liability. Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to abrogate the sovereign immunity of this state as to all actions executed by any party under this Code section.
HISTORY: Code 1981, § 51-1-29.2, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 954, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 1199, § 8/HB 89.
51-1-29.3. Immunity for operators of external defibrillators
(a) The persons described in this Code section shall be immune from civil liability for any act or omission to act related to the provision of emergency care or treatment by the use of or provision of an automated external defibrillator, as described in Code Sections 31-11-53.1 and 31-11-53.2, except that such immunity shall not apply to an act of willful or wanton misconduct and shall not apply to a person acting within the scope of a licensed profession if such person acts with gross negligence. The immunity provided for in this Code section shall extend to:
(1) Any person who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care or treatment by the use of or provision of an automated external defibrillator without objection of the person to whom care or treatment is rendered;
(2) The owner or operator of any premises or conveyance who installs or provides automated external defibrillator equipment in or on such premises or conveyance;
(3) Any physician or other medical professional who authorizes, directs, or supervises the installation or provision of automated external defibrillator equipment in or on any premises or conveyance other than any medical facility as defined in paragraph (5) of Code Section 31-7-1; and
(4) Any person who provides training in the use of automated external defibrillator equipment as required by subparagraph (b)(1)(A) of Code Section 31-11-53.2, whether compensated or not. This Code section is not applicable to any training or instructions provided by the manufacturer of the automated external defibrillator or to any claim for failure to warn on the part of the manufacturer.
(b) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed so as to provide immunity to the manufacturer of any automated external defibrillator or off-premises automated external defibrillator maintenance or service providers, nor shall it relieve the manufacturer from any claim for product liability or failure to warn.
HISTORY: Code 1981, § 51-1-29.3, enacted by Ga. L. 2001, p. 776, § 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 51; Ga. L. 2008, p. 12, § 2-37/SB 433.
DISCLAIMER – Some of these codes have been amended over the years, and they can be amended again by the legislature at any time. For some codes you use the version that existed at the time the malpractice occurred, but for others you use the version of the code that exists at the time you go to trial. We show you these codes for general education purposes, but you should always consult an experienced Georgia medical malpractice attorney before relying on these provisions.
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