Good Samaritan law
First Aid & CPR Indiana
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 Indiana, Ind. Code § 34-30-12-1 shields from civil suit anyone who, coming upon the scene of an emergency or accident, gratuitously and in good faith renders emergency care. That protection reaches the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) as well, covered under Ind. Code § 34-30-6-4, so a bystander who applies a device is held to the same shield. Immunity falls away only for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct — meaning the honest act of helping a stranger stays protected.
No duty to act, but every reason to
Indiana imposes no legal duty on a bystander to step in — helping is a choice, but one the law backs rather than penalizes. A person who acts in good faith, including reaching for an AED, is protected from civil liability, so fear of a lawsuit should not stay your hand. In the minutes after a cardiac arrest, that legal reassurance can be what separates hesitation from the act that saves a life.
Why training matters
A protective law does not replace trained hands — it frees them. Learning CPR and first aid turns goodwill into precise action: effective compressions, an open airway, the confident use of an AED, at the very moment every second counts. In Indiana, where help can take long minutes to cross rural roads, the first link in the chain of survival is often you. Train today, and you will never again have to choose between wanting to act and knowing how.