Witnesses at a car crash site in New York were surprised to see former mayor Rudy Giuliani at the scene. Even more amazing was the fact that the former mayor and his friends were responsible for saving one of the crash victims.
According to reports, 71-year-old Giuliani was on his way home from the Newark Airport with several associates when he witnessed the accident on FDR Drive. Seeing an overturned car, he told his friend, who was driving, to pull over. The men called 911 and one of Giuliani’s friends, a former military sergeant and EMT, instructed the victim to remove his seat belt and turn off the ignition. Giuliani directed traffic around the accident site until help arrived.
There is no word on the current condition of the victim, although Giuliani and his friends were uninjured.
The Good Samaritan Law
The “good Samaritan” law offers limited immunity from liability to anyone who helps victims at the scene of an accident. The law was put in place to encourage bystanders to take lifesaving measures when possible to help the victims of accidents in emergency situations without fear that the heroes would be sued. However, even if you are able to provide help in an accident without the fear of liability, there are still rules you should follow in helping any accident victim, including:
- Do not take unnecessary chances. Emergency crews and first responders do not need to deal with two victims instead of one, so be sure that you are not placing yourself in danger by helping the victim of an accident. Many would-be good Samaritans are hurt every year when they are hit by cars, burned by flames or injured in some other way.
- Do not move victims who may have neck injuries. If a victim may have suffered neck or back injuries, be sure to keep the victim still and calm unless he or she is in immediate danger.
- Do not move vehicles unless necessary to avoid physical danger. It is best to leave the accident scene as it occurred to assist investigators who will be piecing together the events leading up to the collision. Only move vehicles when someone is in danger. If possible, set out flares or other lighting to alert oncoming traffic of a crash scene.
If you have been injured in a car crash, be sure to talk to the personal injury attorneys at the Fitzgerald Law Firm in New York.