It’s not really about being paid, it’s about being covered by malpractice insurance which typically only happens for paid services. Yes people or people’s families regularly sue doctors when treatment is unsuccessful. Some jurisdictions don’t allow this, but often while non doctors cannot be sued because of these ‘Good Samaritan’ laws, doctors can still be. And when you’re in the air, it’s not always clear what jurisdiction you are in.
If malpractice insurance doesn’t apply because you are not practicing, wouldn’t Good Samaritan kick in cause you’re just a member of the public during the situation?
The US is incredibly lawsuit-heavy. You can’t even just go and explain your side of the story because the victim will bring the biggest, baddest ambulance chaser they can find.
Not all states apply good samarintan clauses the same, some only apply to civil liability which gets messy.
The Hippocratic oath would be enough for most to do it anyway if no one steps up, but i understand the not wanting to part because they are not universally protected.
In Canada all provinces have some form of Good Samaritan law which means that you aren’t responsible other than gross negligence. So any off-duty doctor would be very safe to help out unless they were doing something very stupid.
It’s not really about being paid, it’s about being covered by malpractice insurance which typically only happens for paid services. Yes people or people’s families regularly sue doctors when treatment is unsuccessful. Some jurisdictions don’t allow this, but often while non doctors cannot be sued because of these ‘Good Samaritan’ laws, doctors can still be. And when you’re in the air, it’s not always clear what jurisdiction you are in.
Seems like a contradictory explanation.
If malpractice insurance doesn’t apply because you are not practicing, wouldn’t Good Samaritan kick in cause you’re just a member of the public during the situation?
It is worth it to a doctor to throw away their career and life savings to find out?
The US is incredibly lawsuit-heavy. You can’t even just go and explain your side of the story because the victim will bring the biggest, baddest ambulance chaser they can find.
Not all states apply good samarintan clauses the same, some only apply to civil liability which gets messy.
The Hippocratic oath would be enough for most to do it anyway if no one steps up, but i understand the not wanting to part because they are not universally protected.
This is such an american take.
In Canada all provinces have some form of Good Samaritan law which means that you aren’t responsible other than gross negligence. So any off-duty doctor would be very safe to help out unless they were doing something very stupid.
But who defines ‘very stupid’. The loved ones of the person who dies because the doctor didn’t recommend an emergency stop?
Of course it can only surely be decided in a court. But in this case it would be something like was not actively trying to cause harm.