Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Puerto Rico

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act U.S. territory. Act No. 139 of June 3, 1976 ("Ley del Buen Samaritano del Gobierno de Puerto Rico" — Good Samaritan Act), as amended (Acts 182-2012 and 62-2021): grants civil-liability immunity to physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians and accredited Red Cross and Civil Defense volunteers who, outside their regular employment, voluntarily and gratuitously render emergency aid — except in cases of gross negligence ("negligencia crasa") or willful misconduct.
Scope of protection Following the U.S. common-law tradition, Puerto Rico imposes no general duty to rescue on a mere bystander (principle of legality; liability for omission arises only in a guarantor position). The Good Samaritan Act is not a duty but a civil-liability shield for those who choose to render aid; it protects mainly health professionals and accredited volunteers.
Duty to rescue No
AED liability protection Protected
Statute Act No. 141 of 2008 (regulates automated external defibrillators — AEDs), amended by Act No. 196 of 2009 and Act No. 182 of 2012, extending civil-liability immunity to any properly trained person who uses an AED in a medical emergency, absent gross negligence or willful misconduct.
No legal duty to rescue AED protection

Your protection under the law

In Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, the Good Samaritan Act (Act No. 139 of 1976, as amended) grants civil-liability immunity to those who render emergency aid voluntarily and free of charge, outside their regular employment, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. A good Samaritan acting in good faith is thereby shielded from the fear of being sued for trying to help.

No duty to act, but every reason to

True to the U.S. common-law tradition, the island imposes no general duty to rescue on a mere bystander: helping is a free decision, not a legal obligation. The law encourages that choice rather than commanding it, and goes further with Act No. 141 of 2008, which extends immunity to any properly trained person who uses an automated external defibrillator (AED) in an emergency. In Puerto Rico, the legal framework is built to make helping safe.

Why training matters

When the law protects and encourages action, it is preparation that makes that action possible. An AED saves only if someone can recognize the arrest, start compressions and apply it without delay; legal immunity is no substitute for skill. Training in CPR and first aid lets a Puerto Rican respond with confidence on the beach, at school or at home, turning a right to help into the concrete ability to restore a heartbeat. To prepare is to turn goodwill into lives saved.