Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR North Carolina

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 North Carolina Good Samaritan law — N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14 (first aid or emergency treatment; liability)
Scope of protection Any person who renders first aid or emergency health care treatment to a person who is unconscious, ill or injured, when the reasonably apparent circumstances require prompt decisions and the care is rendered in good faith, is not liable unless the injury or death was caused by gross negligence, wanton conduct or intentional wrongdoing.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute AED use is expressly included within N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14: using an automated external defibrillator to attempt to save a life constitutes 'first aid or emergency health care treatment', and the user, trainer, site with a training program and prescribing physician are all immune absent gross negligence, wanton conduct or intentional wrongdoing.
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In North Carolina, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14 protects anyone who renders first aid or emergency health care to a person who is unconscious, ill, or injured, when the circumstances demand prompt decisions and the care is given in good faith. Liability attaches only if the injury or death results from gross negligence, wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. AED use is expressly treated as first aid there, so the user, the trainer, the site, and the prescribing physician are all covered.

No duty to act, but every reason to

North Carolina requires no one to intervene: the decision to help rests on your will alone. The law, for its part, stands with you the moment you act in good faith in an emergency, holding liability only for the gravest of faults. Using an AED, compressing a chest, calling for help — all of it is protected, so that nothing holds back your decision to act.

Why training matters

From the Outer Banks to the Appalachian mountains, North Carolina blends large cities with vast rural stretches where help is never the same distance away. Everywhere, it is a bystander's first actions that begin the chain of survival. By training in CPR and first aid, you learn to recognize the emergency, act with assurance, and use an AED without fear. Make that choice today: the person you save tomorrow may never know all that your preparation changed.