Ghosts from Samaria: Good Samaritan laws in the hospital.

Each state has one or more statutes that collectively can be termed "Good Samaritan" laws. Such laws purport to protect physicians and others who volunteer assistance during emergencies. The application of Good Samaritan laws to physicians within a hospital is uncertain and varies from state to state and case to case. No sure way exists to predict whether Good Samaritan laws will protect physicians assisting patients in apparent emergencies. Physicians should not act in reliance on such laws but rather on personal considerations when they volunteer during emergencies. An Illinois case in which a Good Samaritan law was successfully used as a defense illustrates the many variables that make predictions about such laws doubtful.