Helping At The Scene
Minn. Stat. 604A.01 — a duty to give reasonable assistance, and immunity for giving it
In Minnesota, a person who, without compensation or the expectation of it, renders emergency care, advice or assistance at the scene of an emergency or on the way to professional medical care is not liable for civil damages from it, unless the person acts in a willful and wanton or reckless manner.
Minnesota also sets a duty to help. A person at the scene of an emergency who knows that another is exposed to or has suffered grave physical harm shall, to the extent they can without danger to themselves or others, give reasonable assistance, which may be obtaining or trying to obtain help from law enforcement or medical personnel. A person who violates that duty is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
- The scene of an emergency is outside a hospital or a licensed practitioner's office.
- Emergency care includes using an automated external defibrillator, unless the person objects.
- The immunity does not cover care given in the course of regular, paid employment.
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 Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Minn. Stat. 604A.01 — Good Samaritan law
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Minnesota attorney.