The Good Samaritan Rule is a rule that protects people who act as good Samaritans from unreasonable lawsuits from the people they help. Good Samaritans are people who provide aid, or do the morally responsible thing when another person is in need. The Good Samaritan Rule states that as long as the good Samaritan only provided care because of an emergency, that he or she did not cause the emergency, and that he or she provided care that was not grossly negligent or reckless, then he or she cannot be sued for contributory negligence.
When an emergency happens, sometimes there are people around the scene who respond and aid the victims. Although these people are trying to do the right thing, in some circumstances they can actually make the problem worse. For example, say a person is in a car accident and the car catches fire. If a person nearby tries to rescue the person from the car, but accidentally causes an injury to the person in the process, the Good Samaritan Rule would prevent the victim from suing the care provider.