Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman JAY WEBBER
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman EDWARD H. THOMSON
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires appropriate insurance company to provide coverage to Good Samaritan injured at scene of accident.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning ambulance services provided to certain individuals and supplementing P.L.1963, c.140 (C.2A:62A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The appropriate insurance carrier providing coverage to a person who is afforded immunity from civil liability under section 1 of P.L.1963, c.140 (C.2A:62A-1), section 5 of P.L.1996, c.115 (C.2A:62A-1.1), section 1 of P.L.1998, c.101 (C.2A:62A-1.2), or section 10 of P.L.2004, c.17 (C.2A:62A-1.3) and who receives ambulance service as the result of an injury incurred while rendering or attempting to render care at the scene of an accident or emergency to any victim, or while transporting any victim to a hospital or other facility where treatment or care is to be rendered, shall assume the cost of the ambulance service.
b. For the purposes of this section, “ambulance service” means the provision of emergency health care services, basic life support services, advanced life support services, critical care services, mobile intensive care services, or emergency medical transportation in a vehicle that is licensed, equipped, and staffed in accordance with the requirements set forth by the Commissioner of Health.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill clarifies that the appropriate insurance carrier providing coverage to a person afforded immunity under the “Good Samaritan Act” and who receives ambulance service as the result of an injury incurred while rendering or attempting to render emergency care to a victim is required to assume the cost of that ambulance service.
In order to encourage individuals to render assistance at accident scenes, New Jersey has adopted “Good Samaritan” acts to provide civil immunity for individuals who in good faith render care at the scene of an accident or in an emergency. Under current law, the “Good Samaritan Act” provides immunity to: (1) any individual, including a health care professional; (2) the members of volunteer first aid, rescue, and ambulance squads; (3) municipal, county and State law enforcement officers; (4) municipal, county, or State firefighters, whether volunteer or paid; and (5) licensed health care professionals, emergency medical technicians, and mobile intensive care paramedics whose duty does not require a response to a patient emergency situation.
The bill ensures that the appropriate insurance company covering a person who is injured while rendering care at the scene of an accident is required to assume the cost of any ambulance service needed due to that injury.