I was listening to the radio this afternoon and was disgusted to hear that a person who saved somebody else’s life by giving them first aid is now being sued by this person as the first aid they gave them has left them scared even thought the injury they had sustained would have probably left a scar anyway. This is even though the treatment they where given no doubt saved their life.

I was also disgusted to hear that this not a isolated case and that several other people, some of them Ambulance men have also been involved in similar scenarios when they have administered first aid and have saved somebody else’s life. We’re not talking about a little injury here either some are real life threatening problems, among them, a choking where the Heimlich manoeuvre was administered and another case where a woman had been in an vehicle against pedestrian accident and had stopped breathing.

The man who was choking to death and was given the Heimlich manoeuvre sued the man who saved his life because he had performed the manoeuvre incorrectly firstly and had fractured and severely bruised this mans ribs. The accident where the woman had stopped breathing was given CPR by a person who had stopped to give her help and was sued because the CPR caused internal bleeding as the woman had broken ribs after being hit by a car. However in both cases these people survived, only to sue their rescuers.

It appears as though in our every day - sue everybody culture that even saving somebody’s life isn’t immunity from being sued!

People voluntarily take first aid courses so that they can help save someone’s life if the need arises, the last thing you’d expect after saving somebody’s life is for them to jump up and sue your ass!

I am one of these people who has spent time and effort learning how to save life if I have to, but in the light of events such as these it does make you think before you spring into action or does it? I carry a first aid kit, quite a comprehensive one as well in both my cars and would never give it a thought about using it in an emergency. Now however I just might depends on the circumstances!

Even the advice given on the radio said “Think before you jump in to save some ones life”

What a sad state it is that you have to wonder if you’ll be sued if you save somebody’s life.

Last Updated: 25/03/2006 23:14:10

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