AED Liability Issues

You are thinking about investing in AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) but you’re concerned about the liability issues of having them.  Perhaps these questions have crossed your mind:

• What if we have AEDs but employees don’t act in a cardiac arrest?
• What if an employee makes a mistake in the rescue?
• What if we were to do harm rather than save a life?
• Would we be at more legal risk by having AEDs than not?

These are excellent questions but allow the experts at AED One-Stop Shop to put you at ease.  Let’s start with the fact that every FDA approved AED only delivers a shock if the patient is in sudden cardiac arrest, in other words it can’t shock or harm a healthy person. AEDs are commonplace now and they are designed for both the lay person as well as the trained responder.  AEDs are remarkably easy-to-use and they are most reliable as far as their technology.

Now let’s discuss a few important legal aspects.  Every State has a Good Samaritan Law which provides legal protection for all parties in an attempted rescue which include the rescuer, the organization, the supplier, etc.  Furthermore, the AED makers offer their customers Indemnification Policies which protect against a very occasional product failure.  These policies vary in language and in coverage but their legal protection for the AED consumer is often millions of dollars.

AED Program Management is yet another service or offering which can certainly help mitigate risk for a Company or Organization investing in AEDs.  These services include Medical Direction from a doctor, readiness audits and tracking, and all necessary documentation like registering your program with the State or local EMS bureau.

The sum of these consumer protections make the legal climate more favorable for AEDs than ever before.  In fact some would argue that because AEDs are now the “standard of care” in most industries that one who fails to keep up with the standard is at significant legal risk in the event of a cardiac arrest death.

One last note, beyond the legal pros and cons most would agree that investing in safety is the right thing to do for employees, customers, students and visitors.  Contact AED One-Stop Shop at 855-677-AEDs or Sales@AEDOneStopShop.com if you have questions about legal issues or need help deciding if AEDs are right for your organization.