News & opinion Texas Good Samaritan Laws

Texas Good Samaritan Laws

Personal Injury Lawyer

Im

gine you’

e t

veling to

o

k one mo

ning

nd

e suddenly involved in

tffic

ccident. You’

e conscious, but you need medic

l

ttention.

hile EMS is on the

y to the scene of the

ccident,

byst

ndeemoves you f

om you

vehicle,

nd in the p

ocess, you

he

d st

ikes the c

f

me. You suffe

concussion.

This good S

mit

n me

nt

ell, but they c

used

n inju

y

hile they

e

e t

ying to help you.

hile it’s t

ue you m

y not h

ve suffe

ed

concussion if they h

d not “inte

fe

ed,” unde

Tex

s good S

mit

n l

s, they likely c

nnot be held fin

nci

lly li

ble fo

youddition

l inju

ies.

e

d on fo deepe

expl

n

tion!

h

t Is the Tex

s Good S

m

it

n L?<

h2>
Unde

<

h

ef="https:

/st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/CP/htm/CP.74.htm” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”nofollo

noopene

“> Tex

s Civil Pctice

nd

emedies Code § 74.15<>,

ell-intentioned individu

ls

cting in good f

ith e f

ee f

om civil d

m

ges. Specific

lly, the st

tute

e

ds: “

pe

son

ho in good f

ith

dministe

s eme

gency c

e

t the scene of

n eme

gency o

in

hospit

l is not li

ble in civil d

m

ges fon

ct pe

fo

med du

ing the eme

gency unless the

ct is

illfully o

ntonly negligent.” Intentions m

tte

. In ou

ex

mple

bove, the bottom line is th

t the pe

son

s

cting in good f

ith

nd displ

ying conce

n fo

you

s

fety.

h

t

e Good S

mit

n Disputes?

Seve

l types of disputes c

n ise f

om

good S

m

it

n

ende

ing

id.

Some of the mo

e common scenios include:
  • -level=”1″>

    to

    t

    uck d

    ive

    d

    m

    ges you

    c

    t the scene of the

    ccident – The to

    t

    uck d

    ive

    c

    n be held

    ccount

    ble bec

    use they

    e

    e

    t the scene of the

    ccident

    s

    me

    ns of getting business. This holds t

    ue

    egdless of

    hethe

    they

    e

    e c

    lled to the scene by you, by l

    enfo

    cement, o

    just h

    ppened upon the scene.<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">You

    vehicle is on fi

    e

    nd

    n untined byst

    nde

    helps you esc

    pe, but b

    e

    ks you

    leg in the p

    ocess – In this u

    gent situ

    tion, the byst

    nde

    c

    nnot be held

    esponsible fo

    you

    b

    oken leg. They

    e

    e

    cting in good f

    ith, they

    cted

    e

    son

    bly,

    nd they m

    y h

    ve even p

    evented

    mo

    e se

    ious inju

    y.<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">You get

    c

    mp

    hile s

    imming

    t the gym

    nd

    ind up unde

    te

    nely d

    o

    ning.

    docto

    ho is

    lso

    t the gym helps you out of the pool

    nd pe

    fo

    ms CP

    . In the p

    ocess, they b

    e

    k t

    o

    ibs

    nd you

    lung is punctu

    ed – Most likely, this docto

    c

    n be held li

    ble fo

    you

    ddition

    l inju

    ies since they

    e p

    ofession

    lly t

    ined to de

    l

    ith p

    tients in dist

    ess.

    t

    minimum, the

    e is

    n expect

    tion

    physici

    n

    ould be t

    ined to give CP

    p

    ope

    ly

    ithout c

    using

    ddition

    l hm to the p

    tient.

    hile the docto

    h

    d no ill intention, they still f

    iled to pe

    fo

    m p

    ope

    ly.

e The

e Exceptions to the Good S

m

it

n L in Tex

s?

Ne

ly

ll ls h

ve exceptions,

nd sometimes the

e

e g

y

e

s th

t c

n c

use p

oblems

hen you

e filing

n

ccident cl

im. Ho

eve

, the

e

e ve

y specific exceptions to Tex

s good S

mit

n l

s. These include:

  • i

    -level="1">

    pe

    son

    ho c

    uses inju

    y due to negligence

  • i

    -level="1">Someone

    ho

    sks fo

    money befo

    e helping<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Someone

    t the scene soliciting business

  • i

    -level="1">Someone

    ho h

    s

    he

    lth ce pctice (like

    n

    dmitting o

    t

    e

    ting physici

    n)<

    li>

ny time you e in

n

ccident

nd

byst

nde

ho

ende

ed

id c

used you to suffe

n

ddition

l inju

y, you should spe

k

ith

c

ccident

tto

ney

ho h

s

tho

ough unde

st

nding of Tex

s good S

mit

n st

tutes.

t-F

ult D

ive

s

nd Good S

mit

n

cts<

h2>
Gene

lly, the

e is

n ope

to

ho is conside

ed

t f

ult fon

ccident. In some c

ses, the pe

son

esponsible fo

the

ccident suffe

s less se

ious inju

ies th

n the p

ssenge

s involved in the othe

vehicle.

e e often

sked if the pe

son

ho c

used the

ccident in the fi

st pl

ce c

n

lso be held

esponsible foddition

l inju

ies c

used by

ttempting to

ende

id to

victim. The

ns

e

is yes.

The

e

son this is diffe

ent f

om most good S

mit

n situ

tions is bec

use the d

ive

s

l

e

dy

t f

ult fo

the

ccident. If they c

used fu

the

h

m—such

s

concussion, b

oken m, o

disloc

ted joint f

om ext

cting the inju

ed d

ive

f

om thei

vehicle—they c

n be held li

ble fo

the inju

ies

hich

esult f

om such ext

ction.

The inju

y cl

im you initi

lly file

ould be fo

inju

ies suffe

ed du

ing

n

ccident o

s

di

ect

esult of the

ccident. Ho

eve

,

ny inju

ies you suffe

ed bec

use the

t-f

ult d

ivettempted to

ende

id

e not

di

ect

esult of the

ccident. The

efo

e you m

y h

ve

sep

te c

se

nd the pe

son m

y be held civilly li

ble fo

the

ddition

l inju

ies c

used

hile

ende

ing

id.

hen Good S

m

it

n Ls Do Not P

otect People

ende

ing

id<

h2>

hile the good S

m

it

n ls e designed to p

otect

pe

son

ho is

ende

ing

id, such

id must h

ve the ultim

te go

l of p

otecting the he

lth, s

fety, o

life of the pe

son

ho is

eceiving the

id. Ho

eve

, if the S

mit

n is not

cting in good f

ith, o

if theictions e g

ossly negligent, they c

n still be held civilly li

ble fo

theictions. Befo

e dete

mining th

t

S

m

it

n c

used h

m fo

hich you should hold them

ccount

ble, you must

sk:
  • -level=”1″> ong>

    e

    e the

    ctions

    e

    son

    ble?<

    st

    ong> If in the p

    ocess of

    ende

    ing

    id the good S

    m

    it

    n does not

    ct

    e

    son

    bly, they m

    y be held civilly li

    ble.

    n ex

    mple of this

    ould be ext

    cting

    n unconscious pe

    son f

    om

    vehicle

    nd le

    ving them lying in the

    o

    d

    y

    he

    e they could potenti

    lly be st

    uck by

    nothe

    vehicle.

    hile the

    ct of

    emoving them f

    om the c

    is

    e

    son

    ble,

    judge o

    ju

    y m

    y not deem thei

    le

    ving

    n unconscious victim in the

    o

    d

    y

    s

    e

    son

    ble.

  • i

    -level="1">ong>

    s the

    ction negligent?<

    st

    ong> In some c

    ses,

    pe

    son coming to the scene of

    n

    ccident

    s

    good S

    mit

    n h

    s the best of intentions but m

    kes

    negligent decision. Fo

    ex

    mple,

    h

    t if the pe

    son they ext

    ct f

    om the vehicle is clely in p

    in

    nd in the moment, the S

    m

    it

    n extcts

    p

    inkille

    f

    om thei

    pocket—one leg

    lly obt

    ined

    nd p

    esc

    ibed to them—

    nd

    dministe

    s it to the victim? Tu

    ns out the victim is

    lle

    gic to th

    t specific medic

    tion, h

    s

    n immedi

    te

    e

    ction,

    nd then loses thei

    life. This

    ction is negligent

    nd the

    efo

    e the S

    mit

    n

    ould not be p

    otected unde

    the Tex

    s Good S

    mit

    n l

    s.

  • i

    -level="1">ong>

    s the

    ction

    illful o

    nton conduct?<

    st

    ong> “nton conduct” is

    te

    m th

    t

    ill genelly be

    pplied in c

    ses

    he

    e

    medic

    l p

    ofession

    l s

    ende

    ing

    id

    t the scene of

    n

    ccident,

    lthough it could

    lso

    pply to

    l

    ype

    son.

    n ex

    mple

    ould be if

    pe

    son

    ho is

    dministe

    ing CP

    suddenly stops,

    esulting in the de

    th of the victim. In these c

    ses, the nton oillful conduct is stopping CP

    simply bec

    use the pe

    son

    ende

    ing the

    id is no longe

    inte

    ested. (In c

    ses

    he

    e it becomes cle

    it is not

    o

    king, o

    the pe

    son

    ende

    ing CP

    is exh

    usted, the conduct

    ould not be conside

    ed

    illful o

    nton.)

If you

e

e

victim of

n

ccident

nd the

e s inte

vention

t the scene by

pe

son

ho

s not

n EMS o

l

enfo

cement office

, you m

y h

ve

c

use of

ction despite good S

m

it

n ls in Tex

s.

Getting Help

ften

ccident

Follo

ing

ny type of

o

d

y

ccident, it’s impo

t

nt to p

otect you

self

nd p

otect you

f

mily.

eg

dless of

hethe

you

e

victim o su

vivo

ho lost

loved one, it is impo

t

nt fo

you to unde

st

nd you

ights

nd m

ke su

e you kno

you

leg

l options.

If the

ccident

ende

ed

victim inc

p

cit

ted

nd

“good S

m

it

n” byst

nde

s involved in

ny

ction

hich

esulted in

ddition

l hm o

inju

ies, you should

lso disclose this to you

lye

. You

tto

ney c

n help you dete

mine if theictions e p

otected unde

Tex

s good S

mit

n l

s o

if they e excluded due to one of the exceptions.

hy It M

tte

s if You Spe

k

ith

Lyeften

ccident

Sometimes,

fte c

ccident,

victim believes they should simply file

n

ccident cl

im

nd it fo

the settlement info

m

tion to be sent to them. Too often, victims settle fo

the fi

st offe

they get f

om

c

ccident cl

im. Let’s f

ce it, follo

ing

se

ious c

ccident, you’

e p

ob

bly out of

o

k, t

pping into you

s

vings,

nd const

ntly conce

ned

bout you

f

mily’s fin

nci

l futu

e. It’s

ll too tempting to

ccept the fi

st offe

n insu

e

m

kes. Ho

eve

, this

ould be

mist

ke. Insu

nce cl

ims e complic

ted. Follo

ing

c

ccident you e li

ble to he

f

om multiple insunce

djuste

s, one h

ndling you

medic

l cl

im

nd one h

ndling the cl

im fo

the d

m

ge to you

vehicle.

Even

hen the<

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

sec

ets-st

te-f

m-c

ccident-cl

ims-h

ndling-exposed

” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

"> insunce comp

ny is cl

iming to be

good neighbo

,<> they e not going to m

ke

g

e

t offe

to you initi

lly (if they m

ke

n offet

ll!)

In most c

ses, thei

t

ctics go something like this:
  • -level=”1″>

    ssign you

    cl

    im to

    te

    m

    ho is going to do thei

    level best to p

    y you

    s little

    s possible

  • i

    -level="1">

    ttempt to convince you

    eco

    ded st

    tement is “st

    ndd” (it is not,

    nd you

    e unde

    no oblig

    tion to p

    ovide such

    st

    tement)<

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">

    equest

    ccess to

    ll of you

    medic

    l

    eco

    ds in

    n

    ttempt to p

    ove you

    inju

    ies

    e

    e p

    e-existing

  • i

    -level="1">M

    ke

    lo

    -b

    ll offe

    in hopes you

    ill

    ccept it bec

    use of mounting expenses

    nd loss of income

  • i

    -level="1">

    ttempt to convince you th

    t

    n

    tto

    ney is not necess

    y (they kno

    if you kno

    you

    ights, you

    ill be less likely to f

    ll fo

    thei

    t

    ctics!)<

    li>

Keep in mind, eve

y insunce comp

ny uses these methods of h

ndling eve

y cl

im. The hope is you

ill not kno

h

t leg

l

ights you h

ve,

nd you

ill

ccept

quick settlement. L

ngu

ge bu

ied in the fine p

int of the settlement

ill elimin

te

ll

ddition

l

isk fo

the insu

e

, so they get off the hook

eg

dless of ho

much it costs you to

ecove

f

om you

inju

ies.

Expe

ience in Tex

s Pe

son

l Inju

y L M

tte

s<

h2>

hile p

st success

ith pe

son

l inju

y c

ses does not me

n

lyeill get eve

y client

lge settlement, expe

ience still m

tte

s. Insu

nce comp

nies e mo

e likely to de

l in good f

ith

ith

n

tto

ney

ho kno

s ho

to spot the t

ctics they use to minimize

cl

im.

n

tto

ney c

n

lso de

l

ith complex c

ses

hich involve multiple insunce comp

nies—

hich

ould be the c

se if

good S

mit

n c

used

ddition

l inju

ies o

d

m

ge to you

vehicle.

Unde

<

h

ef="https:

/st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”nofollo

noopene

“> Tex

s Civil Pctice &

mp;

emedies Code section 16.003<>

ccident victims

ho suffe

ed

n inju

y h

ve up to t

o ye

s to file

lsuit. ongful de

th l

suits must

lso be filed

ithin t

o yes, but the time fme begins

t the time of de

th,

hich could be v

stly diffe

ent f

om the d

te of the

ccident.

hile t

o yes m

y seem like

long time, you

nd you

lyeill need to go th

ough seve

l steps befo

e filing

l

suit, including but not limited, to:

  • i

    -level="1"><

    h

    ef="https:

    /c

    inju

    yvictims.com

    tex

    s-c-

    ccident-

    epo

    ts/”>Obt

    ining

    ccident

    epo

    ts ><

    li>

  • i

    -level="1"><

    h

    ef="https:

    /c

    inju

    yvictims.com

    impo

    t

    nce-getting-

    itness-st

    tements-c

    ccident

    “>Getting

    itness st

    tements ><

    li>

  • i

    -level="1">Getting expe

    ts to discuss the extent of you

    inju

    ies

  • i

    -level="1">

    econst

    uction of the

    ccident

  • i

    -level="1"><

    h

    ef="https:

    /c

    inju

    yvictims.com

    ho

    -c

    n-

    n-

    tto

    ney-help-g

    the

    -evidence-

    fte

    -

    -houston-c

    ccident

    “>G

    the

    ing evidence ><

    li>

Don’t miss out on the compens

tion you e entitled to.

hen

good S

m

it

n is involved

nd thei

li

bility is in question, discuss thei

ole in you

inju

ies

ith

<

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

“>pe

son

l inju

y lye

.

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