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Bleeding Control Protections Within US Good Samaritan Laws

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2024

Matthew J. Levy Open the ORCID record for Matthew J. Levy [Opens in a new window] ,
Christopher M. Wend Open the ORCID record for Christopher M. Wend [Opens in a new window] ,
William P. Flemming ,
Antoin Lazieh ,
Andrew J. Rosenblum Open the ORCID record for Andrew J. Rosenblum [Opens in a new window] ,
Candace M. Pineda ,
Douglas M. Wolfberg ,
Jennifer Lee Jenkins ,
Craig A. Goolsby  and
Asa M. Margolis
Matthew J. Levy*
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Christopher M. Wend
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
William P. Flemming
Affiliation:
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey USA
Antoin Lazieh
Affiliation:
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey USA
Andrew J. Rosenblum
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Candace M. Pineda
Affiliation:
Memorial Regional Hospital, Hollywood, Florida USA
Douglas M. Wolfberg
Affiliation:
Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLC, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania USA
Jennifer Lee Jenkins
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
Craig A. Goolsby
Affiliation:
David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California USA
Asa M. Margolis
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
*
Correspondence: Matthew J. Levy, DO, MSc Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimore, Maryland, USA E-mail: levy@jhmi.edu
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Abstract

Introduction:

In the United States, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs). Designed to encourage bystanders to aid at the scene of an emergency, GSLs generally limit the risk of civil tort liability if the care is rendered in good faith. Nation-wide, a leading cause of preventable death is uncontrolled external hemorrhage. Public bleeding control initiatives aim to train the public to recognize life-threatening external bleeding, perform life-sustaining interventions (including direct pressure, tourniquet application, and wound packing), and to promote access to bleeding control equipment to ensure a rapid response from bystanders.

Methods:

This study sought to identify the GSLs in each state and the District of Columbia to identify what type of responder is covered by the law (eg, all laypersons, only trained individuals, or only licensed health care providers) and if bleeding control is explicitly included or excluded in their Good Samaritan coverage.

Results:

Good Samaritan Laws providing civil liability qualified immunity were identified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. One state, Oklahoma, specifically includes bleeding control in its GSLs. Six states – Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, and Missouri – have laws that define those covered under Good Samaritan immunity, generally limiting protection to individuals trained in a standard first aid or resuscitation course or health care clinicians. No state explicitly excludes bleeding control from their GSLs, and one state expressly includes it.

Conclusion:

Nation-wide across the United States, most states have broad bystander coverage within GSLs for emergency medical conditions of all types, including bleeding emergencies, and no state explicitly excludes bleeding control interventions. Some states restrict coverage to those health care personnel or bystanders who have completed a specific training program. Opportunity exists for additional research into those states whose GSLs may not be inclusive of bleeding control interventions.

Keywords

9-1-1 Good Samaritan LawhemorrhageliabilitylegalStop the Bleedtortstourniquets
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , April 2024 , pp. 156 - 162
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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