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Emergency Law Inventory | Full Law Text

Law Number

CRIR 14-140-042(11.1)

Summary Title

Good Samaritan Law: Veterinarian Providing Emergency Care

Summary

A veterinarian who, voluntarily and without compensation, provides emergency veterinary assistance to an animal in need will not be held legally responsible for acting or for failing to act. The veterinarian can be held legally responsible if they act with extreme carelessness. Generally, Good Samaritan laws only offer protection for those individuals who provide care during spontaneous emergencies unrelated to volunteer deployment.

Full Title

Immunity from Liability

Full Text

11.1 In accordance with section 5-25-17 of the Rhode Island General Laws, as amended, no veterinarian licensed under the provisions of the Act or members of the same profession duly licensed to practice in other states of the United States, who voluntarily and gratuitously renders emergency veterinary assistance to an animal in need thereof, shall be liable for civil damages for any injuries which result from acts or omissions by those persons in rendering the emergency care, which may constitute ordinary negligence. 11.2 The immunity granted by this section shall not apply to acts or omissions constituting gross negligence.

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