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State Supreme Court Says Good Samaritans Can Be Sued

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

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.

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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.

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