Legal Concepts and Issues

Clinicians generally view the legal system with mistrust. Unfamiliar concepts and vocabulary combined with high-profile, multimillion dollar malprac­tice lawsuits can lead to understandable apprehension. The field of medical transport is, by its nature, filled with many complex and uncertain situ­ations, with the sickest patients often located in less-than-ideal facilities. Additionally, it is important to recognize that the rules of law that apply to medical transport are a composite of general rules, transportation rules, and ambulance rules flavored with recent aircraft and emergency medical services (EMS) regulation. Understanding the source of the rules and how they are applied are essential to consideration of legal liability and distinctions for transport application.