Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Kansas

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 K.S.A. § 65-2891 (Emergency care rendered gratuitously) — immunity for emergency care rendered in good faith at the scene of an emergency or accident.
Scope of protection A health care provider (and covered persons) who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency or accident — including treating a minor without parental consent — is not liable for civil damages, except damages caused by gross negligence or by willful or wanton acts or omissions.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute K.S.A. § 65-6149a — any person who in good faith renders emergency care by use of an AED, and the AED owner who follows maintenance guidelines, are not liable for civil damages where they act as an ordinarily prudent person would.
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In Kansas, K.S.A. § 65-2891 shields from civil damages anyone who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency or accident — the protection reaching even the treatment of a minor without parental consent. AED use falls under K.S.A. § 65-6149a, which protects both the rescuer and the device's owner so long as they act as an ordinarily prudent person would. These immunities yield only to gross negligence or willful or wanton acts, leaving the sincere act of rescue fully covered.

No duty to act, but every reason to

In Kansas, the law compels no one to intervene — helping remains a free decision, made in the rush of the moment by someone who cannot look away. The good faith of that choice is protected, AED use is covered, and civil liability does not threaten the person who acts with care. Fear of a lawsuit should therefore never weigh heavier than the life faltering before your eyes.

Why training matters

Between the moment a heart stops and the arrival of help, there is often only you — and what you know how to do. CPR and first-aid training turns instinct into method: it teaches you to assess, to compress at the right rhythm, to let an AED guide your hands without giving in to panic. In Kansas, where wide counties separate many homes from the nearest hospital, this knowledge is not a luxury but a responsibility one chooses to carry. Train, and become the link a family will be able to count on.