good samaritan law
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good samaritan law
a law that provides protection against claims of malpractice for medical practitioners who render emergency care at the scene of an accident except when gross negligence or willful misconduct can be proved. Most states have passed such laws; all the laws cover doctors, and about half the laws cover nurses.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Good Samaritan law
The legal protection given to those who stop and render care in an emergency situation without expectation for remuneration. The necessity for this legislation arose when physicians who assisted in giving emergency care were later accused of malpractice by the patient.
See also: law
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