It’s not often that the words “common sense” and “California’s legislature” are used together these days, and even less frequently do both parties find common ground. But, the governor and our legislature deserve a round of applause for closing loop-holes in the Good Samaritan Law. It previously punished those who lent a hand in emergency situations. Assembly Bill 83 and Senate Bill 39, both signed into law today, state that Good Samaritans (both non-medical and disaster relief workers) who provide help in an emergency situation, such as a rescue, are exempt from civil liability as would be medical professionals.
“No one should ever have to weigh helping someone in dire need against the possibility of a lawsuit,” said CALA’s Northern California regional Director, Marko Mlikotin. “We should have laws that encourage people to be heroes while affording them protection when performing lifesaving acts.”
The legislation was inspired by the Van Horn case, where Lisa Torti was sued by Alexandra Van Horn for pulling her out of a car that Torti believed was about to explode. “This law will save lives,” said Mlikotin. “If only all common sense reform legislation could garner this kind of bipartisan support.” Assembly Bill 83 and Senate Bill 39 were sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) and Senator John Benoit (R-Riverside), respectively. The bills enjoyed broad based bi-partisan support. California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a nonpartisan, grass-roots organization dedicated to educating the public about the negative effects of lawsuit abuse and challenging those who abuse our legal system for personal gain.
For more information, please visit www.cala.com.