Why was this down voted?

Is that really a law or offense? Refusing to offer aid? I mean with how she acted, her response will probably be "lol survival of the fittest."

Failure to render aid is an actual offense.

Silly law in a way. So much for us humans being totally free animals. It's good for innocent bystanders or victims like OP. but if a known criminal or known jackass from someone's personal life is bleeding out, bye Felicia. Karma exists. Edit, just read up more about the law. It seems to only or mainly apply to car accidents specifically.

I will never think helping someone else is silly.

car accidents, people who collapse on the ground, or people with serious injury. It falls under the good samaritian law I believe.

Good Samaritan law protects people who help someone in need in case something goes wrong. It doesn't require people to defend each other no matter what Seinfeld says.

Does it not only apply to someone with first aid certification or ID... the only thing you can be sued for is not calling authorities, and if you don't have a phone no one is entitled to sue you. This is also the reason people choose to learn first aid but not get registered or take their certificate as they are forced to take action when someone gets hurt, if they injure that person unintentionally more or walk away not wanting to do harm they can get sued either way.

Actually, even if you don't have the first aid certification, you are required to do everything within your abilities to help someone. So if you don't perform CPR on someone needing it, you are in violation of the law, regardless of whether you are registered or not.

(In case my initial post wasn't clear, I was referring to people actually capable of doing CPR of course. If you don't know CPR, please don't try it on an unwitting victim :P...)

Ok thats messed up never going to the us again, or Quebec for that matter. Where i am we have good Samaritan laws but no duty to rescue, this means if i choose to ofer first aid i must do so to the highest of my abilities and not do anything i have not ben trained to do, but i am not forced to. If a person has a duty to act it may be to an unsafe scene or one that they are not trained for. Also if i have first aid cpr/aed training in canada would that training and certificate be recognized in another country (us)?

That is stupid. Good Samaritan laws are supposed to protect people who choose to intervene and something happens to the victim beyond the rescuers knowledge or abilities. I am trained in first aid and CPR and know this. You are never required to render aid.

Actually: In the common law of most anglosphere countries, there is no general duty to come to the rescue of another.[1] Generally, a person cannot be held liable for doing nothing while another person is in peril.[2][3] However, such a duty may arise in two situations: A duty to rescue arises where a person creates a hazardous situation. If another person then falls into peril because of this hazardous situation, the creator of the hazard – who may not necessarily have been a negligent tortfeasor – has a duty to rescue the individual in peril

In some states. Not all. Like here in Ohio, even as a firefighter, if I'm not on duty and a big wreck happens right in front of me and people are hurt, I'm not LEGALLY obligated to help. Obviously I would anyway, but you get the idea. As opposed to right across the river in WV where if I even have a firefighter sticker on my car and go pass a wreck and someone reports me, I could be fired and charged.

It actually is illegal to witness an accident or serious injury without offering aid or Maurine sure somebody is or already has administered aid.

No, that's not correct. I believe the only state where the law REQUIRES you to offer aid no matter what is Vermont. Now the Good Samaritan Law protects people that do decide to render aid bit doesn't require that you do (except VT). However, the law varies from state to state- different actions and people may be required/not allowed to help in certain situations, etc. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with your state laws on the matter to protect yourself.

Maybe he was hurt as well

Neck injury because of rear-endings can be quite serious. Especially if they saw it coming. People tend to tense up on an impending impact, which usually worsens the potential injury.

Thankfully I wasn't tensed. I was at a red light completely stopped and didn't see it coming. My neck is still sore (official diagnoses was a sprain) but I was more concerned about my head and back. Everything will eventually feel better but I made sure to tell the hospital I was hurt in an accident so it's on file. Hopefully you are ok now?

They could have been stopped a good distance away from the car in front of them. So with the push forward, only bumped it. And if they werent 100% stopped yet but almost, the impact wouldnt have been quite as bad and only cause the more minor of injuries. It also could have been not a direct hit but instead at an angle if the texter guy noticed too late and swerved.

I've been on plenty of accidents. Hi speeds have ended up with no injuries and little fender benders have 3 people hospitalized. It just all depends on the mechanics and the angle of the crash, how the drivers reacted, seatbelts, alertness, all vehicles speeds (whether the 2 that got hit were completely stopped or still rolling forward), any other impacts, size of vehicles, etc. there's a lot to be taken into account. Not just speed at contact

It was 40! Guy who hit me confirmed with the police. I was about a car's length away from the SUV in front of me at a red light, and he had been going full speed (actually 5mph over the limit) when he looked up but couldn't avoid hitting me. Got very lucky I was able to walk away and didn't need an ambulance ride, but sill went to the hospital. Both the other cars were SUVs and I was in a sedan, so it was mostly my car that was damaged.