VITALE-GORDON BILL TO CREATE LIABILITY SHIELD FOR ORGANIZATIONS, INDIVIDUALS WHO USE DEFIBRILLATORS BECOMES LAW

Legislation Removes Civil Liability for Using Automated External Defibrillators

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Bob Gordon that protects from civil liability good Samaritans who use an automated external defibrillator while attempting to save someone’s life was signed into law yesterday.

“The moments after a sudden cardiac arrest can make the difference between life and death,” said Senator Vitale, (D-Middlesex) Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “If defibrillation is administered via an AED, a person’s likelihood of surviving a cardiac episode increases dramatically. We need to make sure that the law recognizes the life-saving potential of these devices and shield good Samaritans from lawsuits should they malfunction or if, even with the good faith efforts to revive someone, the person dies.”

Click here to read the rest of Senators Vitale and Gordon's news release.

Follow the New Jersey Senate Democrats on Facebook, Twitter, Goggle Plus and Pinterest.