Rolly
Nov 5, 2008, 7:37 AM
An item on another board piqued my curiosity.
In the USA there are “Good Samaritan Laws” that shield people from liability when they stop to render aid in an emergency. Do such laws exist in México?
It seems to be commonly believed that only designated, trained professionals are allowed to render aid — Cruz Roja or other professionals. Is this true? Is it illegal for a non-professional to render aid? If not actually illegal, does such action leave one open to liability?
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julietl
Nov 5, 2008, 2:49 PM
That is a really interesting question and I’d like to know the answer too.
It would seem like since this is not as a litigious society as in the US, that you wouldn’t be in trouble if something went wrong, but maybe not…..
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IslaZina
Nov 8, 2008, 4:34 PM
Me too! I have a Mexican Red Cross certificate, pretty advanced, but have been chased away from accident scenes by policia, who proceeded to do the wrong things : improper moving techniques, etc. while waiting for an ambulance (often with the guys who taught my class!) I’ve had certificates most of my life, too.
https://[email protected]
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sioux4noff
Nov 8, 2008, 11:36 PM
My husband and I volunteer with the local Bomberos, who run the public ambulance in the area, no Cruz Roja here yet. We stop and assist at accident scenes, sometimes before the police and ambulance arrive, sometimes stopping to help the ambulance crew. We both have credentials from the fire department, and also many of the transit cops know my husband. On the rare time anyone has asked why we are there, we say to assist the bomberos and have had no trouble. He also stops at fire scenes and helps, the bomberos are very appreciative.
We haven’t ever worried about possible liability.
I have even helped try to rescue a man who was injured while working in a well. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a body recovery instead. I’ve also helped trap a crocodile, lifeguard at the beach, and perform paramedic duties at a mountain bike race. Recently, my husband helped rescue a horse that was stuck in a big muddy hole.