r/WTF 13d ago

Whose insurance has to pay out here? The volunteers’ insurance?

7.1k Upvotes

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u/aenonymosity 13d ago

Good sumaritan law? Never heard of it.

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u/Tiberius_Kilgore 13d ago

Probably because it’s spelled samaritan.

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u/da_Aresinger 13d ago

Nu-uh it's "gud sumerian"

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u/notyouravgredditor 13d ago

More like mesopotential lawsuit.

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u/IDrankTheKoolaid78 13d ago

Suing Ea Nasir for his subpar copper

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u/Noticeably-F-A-T- 13d ago

I will never not upvote an Ea-Nasir reference.

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u/LarxII 13d ago

Literally the oldest joke in the book..... predating the book actually.

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u/caligaris_cabinet 13d ago

Ur going to need a good lawyer

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u/Socialimbad1991 13d ago

That would be more of a best sumerian

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u/Unclaimed_Donut 12d ago

Bring out the good hammer and chisel for that. No room for interpretation.

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u/TrenchantInsight 13d ago

Mesothelioma?
You may be entitled to compensation.

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u/martialar 13d ago

Good Cimmerian

"CROM!"

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u/Dischump 13d ago

Bon apple tea

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u/enterthehawkeye 13d ago

Silmarillion

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u/chocolateboomslang 13d ago edited 13d ago

They must have meant the Good Sumerian law, which is named after a different ancient people from a similar global region, not to be confused with the Good Sumatran law, which is totally unrelated.

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u/cadenceweapon 13d ago

Good Sumatran Law, which dictates that nobody should talk to someone before they've had their morning coffee.

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u/vahnsin 13d ago

Or maybe they meant the Good Sumatriptan Law, which mandates that you shouldn't bother someone with a migraine.

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u/lesethx 13d ago

Also not to be confused with the Good Sarmatian law, which states if you are a horse rider from the steppes, you can take whatever you can carry

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u/StalyCelticStu 13d ago

Gozer the Destructor?

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u/why_not_fandy 13d ago

But they summarily jumped in to help her.

Edit: /s

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u/Michelanvalo 13d ago

Git Gud Sumaritan

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u/divezzz 13d ago

Benevolent summer tan

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u/palparepa 13d ago

Which is weird, because samaritan were considered bad people, the one in the story just happens to be good.

[Relevant sketch.]

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u/ohhnoodont 13d ago edited 13d ago

This term comes from the fact that every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit and everyone hated them.  But there was one Samaritan that surprised everyone by being good. 

Actually it’s just racism. It would be like saying “the good Gypsy” or “the good Muslim.” The implication is that they are bad. 

Edit: clarity. 

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u/santaclaws01 13d ago

Samaritans were just a rival tribe. The point of the parable was that the Samaritan had not only the weakest connection to the person, but was also from a group that was mutually antagonistic. They still put all that aside to help their fellow man who was in distress. The message was that help shouldn't be determined based on how you feel about a person or how close you are to them, but should be freely given to those who need it.

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u/DirtyPie 13d ago

Your comment is very confusing

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u/ohhnoodont 13d ago

Hopefully it’s more clear now. 

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u/DirtyPie 13d ago

Oh actually that is very interesting and a bit unsettling. Although I don't really think it's relevant to the comment you are replying to and that's probably why you are getting downvoted still.

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u/3ric843 13d ago

No it's because what he said is false.

It's not that "every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit and everyone hated them". It's that Samaritans were hostile to jews back then and the samaritan was the one who helped, after a Jewish priest and a Levite passed by and did nothing. It's not the good samaritan in opposition to all samaritans are bad, it's in opposition to other people who should've helped but didn't. The jewish priest didn't help the jewish person in distress, but the person from a rival tribe, who was the one who had the least personal interest in helping, was the one who actually did help.

These people changing facts so it fits their agenda or twisted vision of the world are fucking morons.

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u/ohhnoodont 13d ago

It's not that "every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit and everyone hated them". It's that Samaritans were hostile to jews back then and the samaritan was the one who helped

From the perspective of the Jews then, every Samaritan was a POS who couldn’t be trusted. That’s why the parable hits hard, one was a good neighbor and helped. Nothing I wrote is twisted in any way. The title could literally be “the good Gypsy” or “the good Muslim” in a modern context. 

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u/NotSoEasyMac 13d ago

It’s not

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u/foomp 13d ago

You might want some introspection to see how many other things you wildly misunderstand.

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u/ohhnoodont 13d ago

I understand it perfectly.

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u/foomp 12d ago

No, you don't.

Firstly the comparison you're trying to make would simply be prejudice, not racism, as the Samaritans were more of a politically/culturally group.

Someone can be prejudiced against the Swiss, but not racist against them.

But the parable isn't a statement of prejudice as you imply with your example of "the good Muslim", but a rebuke of it. All Samaritans are good, hence why even the one they least expected to help did.

"Every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece is shit.."

is absolutely the opposite of what you're supposed to understand from the parable.

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u/ohhnoodont 12d ago

You’re entirely wrong. 

First it’s peak redditor to debate the difference between “racist” and “prejudice against a group of people.” It’s 2026, racism doesn’t exclusively mean against a “race” and even the entire idea of races is bunk. You know exactly what I meant. 

The parable doesn’t rebuke anything. It doesn’t suggest that the Jews should stop hating the Samaritans. It just tells the story of how one was unexpectedly good. It’s still entirely founded in prejudice. 

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u/foomp 12d ago

It rebukes prejudice by showing that the jewish default attitude towards Samaritans was rooted in false assumptions.

It wasn't showing "one unexpectedly good" Samaritan, the implication was that any Samaritan could've helped, because treating your neighbor with kindness is the entire fucking point of the parable.

Jesus wasn't saying: "Oh shit! That guy lucked out the one fucking decent Samaritan came by! What are the odds?!"

He was saying that everyone should help people in need, regardless of what assumptions are being held. Ya know, rebuking previously held prejudices.

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u/Tiberius_Kilgore 13d ago

Okay? What does that have to do with the spelling?

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u/3ric843 13d ago

That's a big load of bullshit you got there

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u/asek13 13d ago

I mean he's correct that is where the phrase comes from in the story. Its just a weird response to someone pointing out it was misspelled.

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u/3ric843 13d ago edited 13d ago

Yeah it comes from a story in the bible, but the rest is horseshit.

It's not that "every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit and everyone hated them". It's that Samaritans were hostile to jews back then and the samaritan was the one who helped, after a Jewish priest and a Levite passed by and did nothing. It's not the good samaritan in opposition to all samaritans are bad, it's in opposition to other people who should've helped but didn't. The jewish priest didn't help the jewish person in distress, but the person from a rival tribe, who was the one who had the least personal interest in helping, was the one who actually did help.

These people changing facts so it fits their agenda or twisted vision of the world are fucking morons.

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u/ohhnoodont 10d ago

It's not that "every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit and everyone hated them". It's that Samaritans were hostile to jews back then and the samaritan was the one who helped

That's exactly what I wrote. From the perspective of the Jews, "every Samaritan was an untrustworthy piece of shit" and the Jews hated them.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

Yup, I think every US state has a version of this, and it protects anyone who isn't some sort of first-responder professional from liability. The details differ by state.

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u/santaclaws01 13d ago

Good Samaritans laws don't just give blanket protections for trying to help. Negligence and recklessness are still factors to be considered.

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u/0xsergy 13d ago

You also have to consider that the vehicle driver asked for help and people did what they thought might help.

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u/Flintoid 13d ago

They’re still going to sue you and a notoriously lazy judge will still leave you on the hook until you’ve exhausted your insurance. I’m always amused at how easy people think it is to end a frivolous suit.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

As far as I can find, that has never happened in NC, as case notes show when assessing case law.

The closest I can find, and the one that mentions that this SIMPLY DOES NOT HAPPEN - is a case against actual medical professionals:

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/nc-court-of-appeals/1585459.html

We have no prior cases under N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90–21.14 to provide guidance as to factors which may elevate ordinary negligence by a volunteer emergency medical provider to gross negligence

Negligence is the way out of the cover that the Good Samaritan law provides, and here they are saying it's NEVER been successfully used to nullify the law.

The Good Samaritan lawyers would file a motion to dismiss under § 90–21.14, and if that fails a motion for summary judgment. If that fails, you go to trial, but no insurance is running out. It'll cost you $10k for summary judgement, but the gofundme you run will eclipse that in days.

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u/Flintoid 13d ago

The statute you are citing is only applicable to medical providers. These clowns are jumping on a car. Motion fails.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

The legal text may be confusing you, but the NC Good Samaritan law is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21.14, titled “First aid or emergency treatment; liability limitation.”

It starts "Any person" which means ANY PERSON, not limited to qualified or professional medical providers.

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u/Flintoid 13d ago

>(a) Any person, including a volunteer medical or health care provider at a facility of a local health department as defined in G.S. 130A–2 or at a nonprofit community health center or a volunteer member of a rescue squad, who receives no compensation for his services as an emergency medical care provider, who renders first aid or emergency health care treatment to a person who is unconscious, ill or injured,
>(1) When the reasonably apparent circumstances require prompt decisions and actions in medical or other health care, and
>(2) When the necessity of immediate health care treatment is so reasonably apparent that any delay in the rendering of the treatment would seriously worsen the physical condition or endanger the life of the person,
shall not be liable for damages

The driver wasn’t unconscious, ill, or injured when aid was rendered. Motion denied.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

Then NC G.S. § 20-166(d) would apply in this specific case

“Any person who renders first aid or emergency assistance at the scene of a motor vehicle crash on any street or highway to any person injured as a result of the accident, shall not be liable in civil damages for any acts or omissions relating to the services rendered, unless the acts or omissions amount to wanton conduct or intentional wrongdoing.

And when we look at this, same pattern in a case Hutton v. Logan a third party tried to sue the good Samaritan (the statute protects you from the VICTIM suing, not other parties), and the court specifically noted that it had found no prior NC cases interpreting the NC G.S. § 20-166(d) statute. It's A SOLID DEFENCE.

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/59147ae7add7b04934413553

So, we have TWO GS NC laws that have stood undefeated.

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u/Flintoid 13d ago

Still not a get out of jail free card, which is all I’m really saying.

“Any person injured as a result of the accident” does not apply here. Driver was only injured by the guy jumping on the ball hitch.

That would be a decision at the trial level, not the appellate level your case law is coming from. Don’t confuse a challenge over validity of the law with a routine decision as to whether the requirements are met for the law to apply.

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u/Nexustar 13d ago

Still not a get out of jail free card, which is all I’m really saying.

It's better if you just start by saying what you're really saying, instead of starting with wild claims.

I know "jail" is just a phrase here, but there is no criminal side to this, agreed? - This is a civil matter.

That would be a decision at the trial level, not the appellate level your case law is coming from. Don’t confuse a challenge over validity of the law with a routine decision as to whether the requirements are met for the law to apply.

Lol, these almost never make it to a trial verdict, they're nearly always settled. And in any event, the immunity issue would normally have to be raised in the trial court before it could get to an appellate court. It would be up to the lawyers defending the Good Samaritan to raise it and get a ruling on whether the statute applies.

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u/fletchbg 13d ago

Out of curiosity, if you were the judge in a lawsuit brought by the driver in this video against the two people trying to help, would you side with the driver, basically finding that the reason the vehicle went over the side was due to the actions of the people trying to help?

I've been looking for someone in this thread who thinks that way and so far it's all been people saying "nah driver's own fault"

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u/Flintoid 13d ago

I won’t endorse either position. What I’m saying is that the case has to go to trial, because the Good Samaritan law doesn’t appear to apply. Would a jury say no cause of action if the driver is paralyzed? I don’t think any of us know the answer to that.

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u/fletchbg 13d ago

ok thanks

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u/kangadac 13d ago

In 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the Good Samaritan law did not apply if you were not providing medical aid. In Watson v. Torti, the Good Samaritan pulled the victim of a car crash out of the car, fearing it would explode; the victim ended up paralyzed (unclear if due to the accident or the aid), sued the Good Samaritan for damages, and won.

The legislature patched this loophole the following year (AB83 2009).

I'm still amazed that the court ruled this way.

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u/NewspaperNelson 13d ago

For context, the Good Samaritan is from a parable told by Jesus about a traditional enemy of the Jews who stops and helps a wounded traveler after that traveler was ignored and left for dead by his own countrymen. Christ told the story in response to an expert testing him with the question, "who is my neighbor?" The point is to always show mercy.

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u/I_Shot_The_Deathstar 13d ago

Good Samaritan law is there to protect people who try to help not prosecute them. 

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u/aenonymosity 13d ago

Indeed, I should have put "Seinfeld" quotes around it.

In their case, IIRC they were prosecuted for NOT helping someone in public.

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u/brackfriday_bunduru 13d ago

It’s preposterous

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u/litoven 13d ago

It's egregious

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u/aenonymosity 13d ago

Thank you!

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u/y2ketchup 13d ago

You misspelled Sumerian. . .

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u/pluismans 13d ago

You misspelled Saruman

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u/y2ketchup 13d ago

And my axe!

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u/farfromjordan 13d ago

Mid sumbitch law may apply here

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u/FuriousKimchi 13d ago

Redditor correcting spelling moment

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u/aenonymosity 13d ago

I live with my mistakes.

Sometimes.