The California Supreme Court says a person who tries in good faith to help someone in an emergency can be sued if they hurt the person they're trying to help. Critics say the ruling strikes a blow to California's Good Samaritan law. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
The case involved a woman who pulled her co-worker out of a crashed car. The accident victim suffered permanent damage to her spinal cord. She claimed the Good Samaritan's actions made her injuries worse.
A divided Supreme Court ruled the Good Samaritan isn't protected from being sued because the care she offered wasn't medical.
Bryan Liang is with the California Western School of Law.
Bryan Liang : This is not the intent of the legislature when they passed a Good Samaritan law. I think they wanted to provide anybody who traditionally wants to come in and help a victim, some kind of protection in this situation.
Liang says the legislature will have to decide whether it wants to revise the law.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
