39-1391c. IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY. Any licensed physician and surgeon shall be conclusively presumed to be qualified to undertake and to furnish any emergency medical or surgical care and treatment, regardless of the specialty training or skills which might otherwise be preferred for care and treatment of the particular patient, whenever, in the good faith judgment of such physician and surgeon, the condition and best interests of the patient require such physician and surgeon to undertake such care and treatment, and, in the absence of gross negligence under the existing circumstances, no physician so proceeding nor any hospital where such care and treatment is provided shall be held liable in any civil action arising out of the furnishing of such emergency care and treatment.

Nothing in this act shall be deemed to require any physician to undertake to or to furnish medical care and treatment, whether on an emergency basis or otherwise, to any person requesting or presented for such care and treatment, nor shall any such physician be held liable in any civil action by reason of his refraining from the furnishing of such care and treatment or referring the same to a specialist or other physician believed by him to be more uniquely or appropriately experienced and qualified. Neither shall any physician responding to any request for emergency care be held liable in any civil action by reason of failure to so respond with any greater promptness than may be reasonably required or expected, under the existing circumstances, of physicians and surgeons practicing in the particular community where such care and treatment is to be furnished.

History:

[39-1391c, added 1973, ch. 82, sec. 4, p. 130.]