Duty to Assist and Good Samaritan Protections
Now we turn to some laws regarding bystanders. A bystander is someone who sees or witnesses something that is happening. In this case we are talking about when someone has been or is in the process of getting hurt.
Generally speaking, Illinois law does NOT require an unrelated bystander to intervene in an emergency, unless they have a special relationship to the victim.
But, the “duty to rescue” derives from circumstances such as:
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If you were the cause of the accident, danger, or emergency
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A driver’s responsibility for passengers
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A property owner’s responsibility for guests on the property
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A trusted caring relationship, such as parent, guardian, teacher or nurse