Helping At The Scene
Fla. Stat. 768.13 — the Good Samaritan Act, for care given free and in good faith
In Florida, any person, including a licensed physician, who gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency outside a hospital, doctor's office or other place with proper medical equipment, without objection from the injured person, is not liable for civil damages from that care where the person acts as an ordinary reasonably prudent person would have acted in the same circumstances.
- The same protection covers care given in response to a declared public health emergency or state of emergency.
- Hospitals and other providers giving emergency services they are obliged to give are liable only for reckless disregard of the consequences.
- A practitioner who steps in to help a stranger in a hospital is liable only for willful and wanton conduct.
The protection is from civil liability, a lawsuit for damages, and the section sets its own limits on who and what it covers. Whether it applies to a particular act is a question for a court and for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Fla. Stat. 768.13 — Good Samaritan Act; immunity from civil liability
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.