Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Wisconsin

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 Wis. Stat. § 895.48 (civil liability exemption; emergency medical care).
Scope of protection Any person who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency or accident is immune from civil liability for acts or omissions. Three conditions: care rendered at the scene, care that is emergency care, and care rendered in good faith. Health-care professionals rendering care for compensation within their usual employment are excluded.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute Wis. Stat. § 895.48(4) grants immunity for use or provision for use of an automated external defibrillator; protection is lost where the act or omission constitutes gross negligence. Covers AED owners, users, and trainers, but not medical directors.
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In Wisconsin, § 895.48 of the Statutes shields from civil liability anyone who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency or accident. Three conditions suffice: care given on the spot, care that is emergency in nature, and care given in good faith. For defibrillators, § 895.48(4) grants a separate immunity to the person who uses one or makes it available, barring gross negligence, and covers owners, users, and trainers.

No duty to act, but every reason to

Wisconsin makes helping no obligation: coming to someone's aid stays a voluntary step. The law is meant above all to reassure — three plain conditions, and immunity is yours; a defibrillator-specific immunity is layered on for the device. The only act the state won't forgive is gross negligence, never the imperfection of a sincere rescuer.

Why training matters

Three conditions for protection sounds simple — but you still have to recognize an emergency and meet it with the right response. That's exactly what training provides: the ability to size up a situation, start CPR without losing time, and bring a defibrillator online with a steady hand. A cardiac arrest in Milwaukee, a fall on a Dane County farm, a near-drowning on a frozen lake — everywhere, the first minutes play out before the paramedics arrive. Preparing is how you make your good faith count.