Supreme Court of California

In a negligence suit arising after defendant removed plaintiff from a vehicle involved in an accident and, by so doing, allegedly caused plaintiff to become paralyzed, a court of appeal's ruling reversing summary judgment in favor of defendant is affirmed where: 1) the Legislature intended for Health and Safety Code section 1799.102 to immunize from liability for civil damages any person who renders emergency medical care; and 2) as defendant did not claim that she rendered emergency medical care (only emergency care), she cannot claim immunity under section 1799.102.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/18/2008
• Published 12/18/2008

Judges

• MORENO, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Law Offices of Hutchinson & Snider and Robert B. Hutchinson, Beverly Hills, for Plaintiff and Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Crandall, Wade & Lowe, Edwin B. Brown, Irvine;  McNeil, Tropp & Braun, McNeil, Tropp, Braun & Kennedy, Jeffrey I. Braun and Frank Cracchiolo, Costa Mesa, for Defendants and Respondents and for Cross-complainant and Appellant., Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, Ronald D. Kent, Sekret T. Sneed, Los Angeles;  Hanger, Levine & Steinberg, Jody Steinberg, Woodland Hills, and Lisa Mead for Cross-defendant and Respondent., David K. Park;  Hughes Hubbard & Reed, Rita M. Haeusler, Los Angeles, George A. Davidson, Carla A. Kerr and Scott H. Christensen for Boy Scouts of America as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Cross-defendant and Respondent.