The CA Supreme Court ruled today that a civilian who rescues a injured or endangered person can be sued for nonmedical care.
The decision stems from a case in which a woman pulled a coworker from a crashed car, allegedly aggravating the victim’s vertebrae.
Lisa Torti of Northridge was accused of yanking Alexandra Van Horn like “a ragdoll” from her vehicle after it crashed on Topanga Canyon Blvd. Van Horn was rendered a paraplegic because of her injuries in 2004.
The three dissenting judges, however, argued that the decision would have dire consequences.
“Here, the result is that defendant Torti has no immunity for her bravery in pulling her injured friend from a crashed vehicle, even if she reasonably believed it might be about to explode,” said Justice Marvin R. Baxter for the dissent.
Living in a city where I have heard stories about a man being beat up on the street in broad daylight, while no one tried to help, or people are left in the dark to die, I am very disturbed by this decision.
While Torti may have messed up, this ruling could cause people to avoid helping others in need, regardless of the situation.
Rebecca M Ford 