Apparently, some of you really took to heart what I wrote the other day about your lack of duty to assist others. Let me clarify here for those of you who have come to the conclusion that you can just leave a guy to bleed to death. There are some restrictions and limitations you should be aware of.
The one of most immediate concern to you is the duty that arises if someone is injured or falls ill while on your property. We are talking here, of course, about persons who are on your property with your consent (known in the legal world as "invitees" because we lawyers just can't seem to use words that everyone else would). And by property I mean not only your residence but your place of business.
Should something happen - like a visitor, guest, patron - collapses or is injured, you cannot - I repeat - you cannot - just leave the poor guy happy in the knowledge that you have no obligations to him. Unlike passing someone in public, you do have some duties to persons who come on to your property with your consent.
The good news for you, it takes very little to comply with these duties. In Florida, you do not need to be able render CPR, or even the Heimlich Maneuver. Instead, you are required only to take such action that is deemed reasonable under the circumstances. Reasonable under the circumstances typically means "summoning medical assistance within a reasonable time." In other words, call 911 right away.
But what about first aid? Well, the law does not require that you be trained in any kind of first aid or that you even have someone on site who can perform first aid. Ordinarily, a proprietor or property owner "will seldom be required to do more than give such first aid as he reasonable can, and take reasonable steps to turn the sick man over to a physician, or to those who will look after him and see that medical assistance is obtained."
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