Emergency care, no civil liability, exceptions (Good Samaritan law)
This law protects people who help in an emergency. Doctors, nurses, EMTs, and trained first aid helpers who stop to help at an accident — for free — cannot be sued if something goes wrong, as long as they were not being extremely careless or reckless. The same protection applies to anyone who steps in to help prevent a suicide. The protection does not apply if the helper was grossly negligent or acted in a willful or wanton way.
537.037. Emergency care, no , (Good Samaritan law). — 1. Any physician or surgeon, professional nurse or licensed to practice in this state under the of chapter 334 or 335, or licensed to practice under the equivalent laws of any other state and any person licensed as an under the provisions of chapter 190, may:
(1) render emergency care or , without , at the scene of an emergency or accident, and shall not be for any for acts or other than by or by by such person in rendering such emergency care;
(2) In good faith render emergency care or assistance, without compensation, to any involved in an accident, or in competitive sports, or other emergency at the scene of an accident, without first obtaining the of the parent or of the minor, and shall not be liable for any civil damages other than damages occasioned by gross negligence or by willful or wanton acts or omissions by such person in rendering the emergency care.
2. Any other person who has been trained to provide first aid in a standard training program may, without compensation, render emergency care or assistance to the level for which he or she has been trained, at the scene of an emergency or accident, and shall not be liable for civil damages for acts or omissions other than damages occasioned by gross negligence or by willful or wanton acts or omissions by such person in rendering such emergency care.
3. Any mental health professional, as defined in section 632.005, or qualified counselor, as defined in section 631.005, or any practicing medical, osteopathic, or chiropractic physician, or nurse , or physicians' assistant may in good faith render at the scene of a threatened suicide and shall not be liable for any civil damages for acts or omissions other than damages occasioned by gross negligence or by willful or wanton acts or omissions by such person in rendering such suicide prevention interventions.
4. Any other person may, without compensation, render suicide prevention interventions at the scene of a threatened suicide and shall not be liable for civil damages for acts or omissions other than damages occasioned by gross negligence or by willful or wanton acts or omissions by such person in rendering such suicide prevention interventions.
Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.
Source & history notes
(L. 1979 H.B. 445 § 1, A.L. 1983 1st Ex. Sess. H.B. 8, A.L. 1986 H.B. 860, A.L. 2005 H.B. 462 & 463, A.L. 2008 S.B. 1081, A.L. 2023 H.B. 402 merged with S.B. 24 merged with S.B. 186)
Related Missouri laws
Emergency care or assistance at scene of emergency or accident
RSMo 537.038
Peer review committees
RSMo 537.035
Design professionals
RSMo 537.033
Section 537.010 not to extend to what action
RSMo 537.030
Parent or guardian liable for damages by minor, when, limitation
RSMo 537.045
Childhood sexual abuse, injury or illness defined
RSMo 537.046
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.