Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Louisiana

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act La. R.S. § 9:2793 (Gratuitous service at scene of emergency; limitation on liability) — immunity for emergency care, first aid, or rescue rendered gratuitously.
Scope of protection Anyone who in good faith provides emergency care, first aid, or rescue at the scene of an emergency (or transports the person to a medical facility) is not liable for civil damages, except for intentional or grossly negligent acts. The immunity is personal to the individual — it does not extend to an employer or insurer, and does not apply within a business relationship (employer-employee).
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute La. R.S. § 40:1236.15 (and the express AED reference in § 9:2793) — the prescriber, owner, trainer, and user of an AED are not liable for civil damages, except for willful or wanton misconduct or gross negligence.
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In Louisiana, La. R.S. § 9:2793 protects anyone who in good faith gratuitously provides emergency care, first aid, or rescue at the scene of an emergency, including during transport to a medical facility. AED use is expressly addressed by that provision and by La. R.S. § 40:1236.15, which covers the device's prescriber, owner, trainer, and user. The protection gives way to an intentional act or gross negligence, and it is strictly personal — it extends to neither employer nor insurer and does not apply within a business relationship.

No duty to act, but every reason to

In Louisiana, no law forces a bystander to intervene — helping is a matter of free choice, never of obligation. That choice is protected when made in good faith and without pay, and AED use falls squarely within that coverage. Fear of being sued should not hold back your action, for here the law protects the hand extended, not the one that stays still.

Why training matters

In Louisiana, a life can hinge on places where water, heat, and distance slow the arrival of help; there, it is those present who make the difference. Training in CPR and first aid means learning to keep a cool head, to compress steadily, and to let an AED guide each step until the professionals arrive. These skills do not wear out — they reawaken the instant they are needed, for a loved one, a coworker, a stranger. Choose to learn today so you carry no regret tomorrow.