Good Samaritan law
First Aid & CPR West Virginia
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.
Your protection under the law
In West Virginia, § 55-7-15 of the Code protects anyone who in good faith renders emergency care at the scene of an accident or crime. The protection covers the ordinary citizen just as it covers the licensed medical professional who volunteers to help. It extends to the use of an automated external defibrillator, provided AED program participants meet the applicable administrative and operational requirements.
No duty to act, but every reason to
West Virginia leaves everyone free to help: the law imposes no duty to intervene. What it offers instead is broad cover that embraces the willing neighbor and the off-duty caregiver alike, right down to using a defibrillator. Helping stays a choice, then — but a choice the state has deliberately made safe.
Why training matters
In West Virginia's valleys and scattered communities, help can be slow to arrive, and that time belongs to those already on the scene. The law protects your effort; only training gives it force. Learning CPR and how to use an AED means gaining the clear-headedness to act when others freeze. In a state that looks after its neighbors, knowing how to step in is the finest way to keep that promise.