Should people be required by law to help an injured person in public?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

If one sees a person bleeding to death or any other type of injury should they be required by law to help? If so what should the punishment be? Does it matter if the injured person is especially vulnerable (i.e. a child, an elderly person, a person with a mental and/or physical disability)

I hear of a case in China where a girl aged 2 was hit by two cars and dozens of people ignored her until a homeless woman finally helped her. The girl has tragically died.

[Cybercode]

i have my CPR card, but if it is beyond my skill level, i would stop in my tracks and immeadiately call 9-1-1, just because that is my instinct. but honestly, for those that are just walking by, how would they like it if they were in the victim's position and nobody came by to help them. I think if there should be a SMALL fine for it, not really a big fine, but i think there should be some sort of punishment.

[Jean Poutine]

If one sees a person bleeding to death or any other type of injury should they be required by law to help? If so what should the punishment be? Does it matter if the injured person is especially vulnerable (i.e. a child, an elderly person, a person with a mental and/or physical disability)

I hear of a case in China where a girl aged 2 was hit by two cars and dozens of people ignored her until a homeless woman finally helped her. The girl has tragically died.

It's the culture over there. I've heard from people who've been practicing Judo in Japan that when somebody breaks a bone or otherwise injures himself, it's pretty common for Japanese to just circle him and look at him without doing anything. I don't know what it is based on, but it's stupid. Ironically in Japanese judo dojo it's not unheard of for a gaijin (a foreigner) to help out somebody injured while native Japanese people just watch as bystanders and don't move a muscle.

Law isn't the answer when morals are warped and/or go down the toilet (and I say that as a law student). Selflessness is a virtue and it should be transmitted via other ways. It's like forcing people to wear seatbelts. Law can't magically make people have some common sense.

[Jess]

I think it's just cold to walk by someone who's helpless and injured, especially if it's a child or elderly person. I agree with Cybercode. There should be some sort of punishment. Not huge, but maybe just a small fine

[Genghis Khan]

I think it's just cold to walk by someone who's helpless and injured, especially if it's a child or elderly person. I agree with Cybercode. There should be some sort of punishment. Not huge, but maybe just a small fine

It'd be way too difficult to implement that shit though, especially in populous countries like China or India, even then in the states it'd be hard too. Imagine having to identify every person in the scene who's first reaction wasn't to call for help. Plus, it takes just one person to make this call, the rest of the crowd doesn't need to just be there. I would change the law to a kind of reward for the person who does take that time to help an injured person.

[Amaryllis]

In Australia, if you walk pass a person in need of help or even leaving your children in a car, you can be charged with negligence. I'm not sure about the rest of the world.

I think it definitely should be a law, hell, I think anyone with a conscience should be smart and kind enough to stop and help. Of course, some people think it's none of their business, they don't know what to do, are in a rush or they just deny it's happening. I don't know how many times my mother has hit and scolded me in public. People just stare or pretend it isn't happening.

If someone lied face down on the ground, what would you do? Would you walk away thinking they were planking? Sometimes people just think it's a joke or they don't want to believe it's happening.

But would you want someone to help you if you were dying on the street? I'm sure I would! Well, unless I meant to. But I wouldn't want a painful death. No si-ree! Since people don't have the hearts and brains to help, I think we should make it illegal not to.

[huginnmuninn]

nope. we shouldnt make it illegal just because we believe its wrong

[ShyGuyInChicago]

nope. we shouldnt make it illegal just because we believe its wrong

One could argue that an injured person has the right to be helped if they need to be helped.

[AllThatYouDreamed]

No, let's stop legislating morality.

[StoppingTime]

Honestly, I don't think this would really help. First, how would it be enforced? And yes, it is horrible to stand there and do nothing, but I don't think we should be forced to.

[Cybercode]

After much thinking, I think the heaviest and only fine one can pay for this is knowing that they let a human life sacrifice because of one's selfishness. And if they don't feel any mercy, God help them.

[Korashk]

One could argue that an injured person has the right to be helped if they need to be helped.
How exactly would one argue that? It's unjustifiable just like every other positive right.

[Jupiter]

It is our duty as human beings to help the people who need it .There shouldn't be a law, though.

800th post!

[Dimitri]

I think that they're are certain laws similar here in the USA, not the money but I know, here in Ohio. If I am wearing anything that identifies me as a healthcare provider and I was near a situation and I did not act, I could then have my liscense to practice taken away from me. This is for my Phlebotomist, EMT and Lifeguard.

[Short Circuit]

The problem is, if you help someone and it goes wrong, there are lawyers out there that will sue your ass off!

What happens say, if someone is not breathing, you administer CPR, bring them back to life, and they did not want to live? Law suit!

There is nothing wrong with being a good Samaritan, hopefully, its in your nature to help, but just look over your shoulder for the layers

[karl]

I would love to be able to help, but I don't even know basic first aid and would be likely to do more harm than good. Calling for help would be the best I could do.

[HaydenM]

The problem is with the americanisation of the legal system all over the world, if i help someone they can then sue me, just for trying to help.

[Dimitri]

Well here in Ameica, we have something called the good samaritian law. As long as we are practice wiith in our scope of practice when someone is in trouble then they can't sue us but if be cause them harm while outside our scope then they can sue us all they like.

An example, if I were to perform an emergency tracheotomy (cut the throat open to insert a tube directly into the lungs that is out of my scope) but I could use endotracheal intubation (Shove a tube down his throat through his mouth, that is within my scope and I would be safe.

As long as you practice what you already know then your are good.

[Cybercode]

The problem is with the americanisation of the legal system all over the world, if i help someone they can then sue me, just for trying to help.

that's true too.

[Bath]

I think it shouldn't be "against the law"...

Odds are, if somebody is dying, and a passerby won't call 911 or help themselves anyway because it's the right thing to do... then they won't do it anyway because of a law. They'd just run away.

[trooneh]

I think it shouldn't be "against the law"...

Odds are, if somebody is dying, and a passerby won't call 911 or help themselves anyway because it's the right thing to do... then they won't do it anyway because of a law. They'd just run away.


I'm in general agreement. It would be nearly impossible to enforce, just like laws against jaywalking and speeding (how many times have you been pulled over for going 1 mile per hour over the speed limit? That's technically illegal). If a person is not going to stop to help as a good Samaritan then they won't stop if there's a law, they'll just pretend they didn't notice.

[ShyGuyInChicago]

This law could be enforced by the use of putting cameras in public places. Public cameras could also be use to help solve other crimes like murders, rapes, kidnappings, and etc.

[TopGear]

This law could be enforced by the use of putting cameras in public places. Public cameras could also be use to help solve other crimes like murders, rapes, kidnappings, and etc.

Thats a great idea..... not.




No law is going to motivate people to get involved with the well being of a injured person if they don't want to, If anything it will just make them more likely to do the least and call someone who will. It takes a person who wants to help others to actually stop and provide help. In our society people are afraid to stop and help because how a simple act of kindness can lead to lawsuits or worse.



Just like the quote goes, "No good dead goes unpunished."

The better thing to do, is to provide better funds for large cities for police, fire and EMT to actually be able to do there jobs without the hassle of not enough time to do the job right.

~TopGear

[AmusedDJ]

that really depends. personally i would call 911 but not help some one if there in the middle of gang-related knife fight.

[Ender]

as a human being shouldnt it just be natural instinct to do everything you can help someone as long as its not putting you into danger? Why should there be a law to require it?

[ShyGuyInChicago]

Anyway, I think that if such a law were to be passed it would do more harm than good. Sure it could be enforced adequately, but there are problems. A police station could end up getting a large number of calls about the same incident. Or if someone try to physically help the person they could make a mistake that would make their injury worse especially if they lack first aid training.

[supadupahitz]

Here's the big problem with that. People get sued for trying to help because they don't have the proper training. At least here in the US. I will make a call for help, keep someone company until help arrives, or get something for them if they need it. I'm not a paramedic or a doctor, so I won't do anything more. My dad has a friend who is paralayzed from the neck down because he was in a motorcycle accident. He most likely would have been fine, except for the good samaritan that removed his helmet "to make him more comfortable" and completely snapped his fractured vertabra in the process.

Helping people is the decent thing to do in my opinion, but unfortunately our sue-happy country interferes with that.


I have a sticker on both my helmets that read: "DO NOT REMOVE HELMET UNLESS YOU'RE A TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL"