A more thorough explanation:

The Good Samaritan Rule is a legal principle that states that if someone voluntarily provides services to another person, they assume a duty to use reasonable care. This means that if the person providing the services is negligent and causes injury to the person they are helping or a foreseeable third party, they may be held liable.

Under common law, a bystander is not obligated to help someone who is injured. However, if a Good Samaritan takes charge of a helpless person, they assume a duty to exercise reasonable care while the person is in their charge. For example, if someone stops to help a person who has been in a car accident, they have assumed a duty to provide reasonable care to the injured person. If they are negligent in providing care and the injured person is harmed as a result, the Good Samaritan may be held liable.

In criminal law, a legal duty to act requires more than being a Good Samaritan. For example, if someone witnesses a crime but does not report it, they are not liable for any harm that results from their inaction. However, if someone has a special relationship with the person in need of help, they may have a legal duty to act. For example, a doctor who refuses to provide medical assistance to a patient in need may be held liable if the patient is harmed as a result.

One example of this is the case of Hurley v. Eddingfield, where a family physician refused to travel to render medical assistance to a patient in need. The court found that the physician was not liable because he did not assume a duty to help. Another example is People v. Beardsley, where a man had an affair with a woman who died from taking morphine. The court found that the man had no duty to act because there was no special relationship between him and the woman.

Overall, the Good Samaritan Rule is an important legal principle that encourages people to help others in need while also holding them accountable for any harm that may result from their actions.