The Fine Line Risk of a Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan is one of the Bible’s most famous parables. In this story, a man is brutally beaten by robbers and left to die on the side of the road. Most people just pass him by and ignore his suffering. But one person, the Good Samaritan, is willing to help.

Most of us want to be the Good Samaritan, but sometimes being the Good Samaritan can get you killed. Leonardo Camacho of Hamilton, New Jersey witnessed an accident on December 5th, 2015. Concerned the victims couldn’t escape their cars, he pulled over and attempted to help.

Unfortunately, the sequence of events ended in tragedy:

• Not wanting to obstruct the police from arriving at the scene, Mr. Camacho pulled over to the far side of the street
• Mr. Camacho crossed two lanes of highway to the median and checked on the victims, determining he still needed to call 911 to request additional aid
• While re-crossing the highway, Mr. Camacho was struck and killed by a pickup truck

Society needs Good Samaritans, but sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry. Crossing highway lanes is always dangerous, due to the high speed of traffic. But the biggest risk comes from drivers who are distracted or drunk. Drunk and distracted drivers regularly strike and kill innocent people on residential streets and other areas with lower speed limits. On a highway, there is little chance a drunk or distracted driver will be able to brake in time.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, it is incredibly important that you keep your options open. Before settling with an insurance company, consult with an experienced attorney to determine whether or not the other driver might be liable for damages. We can’t always be Good Samaritans, but we can benefit society by holding the guilty to account for their dangerous actions.