Can you be sued for using a defibrillator on someone?

Picture this situation: a member of the public collapses in front of you, they are not breathing and have no pulse. Remembering your First Aid training, you recognise this as a cardiac arrest, begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and call 999 who refer you to the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to your location.

After sending another bystander to collect the AED, you attach the electrodes to the casualty’s chest and wait for the device to analyse. The AED recommends a shock, and ultimately delivers three shocks before the casualty regains a heartbeat and is taken to hospital.

What seems like a heroic act to almost everyone may have actually been against the wishes of the person who suffered the cardiac arrest. So, can they actually take legal action against you for saving their life if they didn’t want you to?

Why bystander intervention is needed

Currently in the UK, less than 1 in 10 people who suffer an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) survive, this amounts to almost 60,000 deaths each year. The first moments following a cardiac arrest are vital in achieving the best outcome.

If CPR is done and an AED used within 3-5 minutes of collapse, survival rates increase from 6% to around 74%. The average response time for an ambulance in the UK is around 7 minutes, for someone in cardiac arrest being left this long without any kind of treatment will likely result in permanent brain damage or death.

Early intervention from a bystander is vital, CPR buys precious time while an early shock from an AED can correct the heart back into a normal rhythm.

The SARAH Act

In the UK, the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015, also known as the SARAH Act, was introduced to help eliminate fears of liability that bystanders may have when intervening in a medical emergency.

The Act’s introduction states that: “There is evidence to suggest that people are deterred from volunteering, helping others or intervening in an emergency due to the fear of risk and/or liability.”

Removing this apprehension is the main goal of the SARAH Act; it states that if someone is deemed to be acting in the best interests of society or acting in a genuine attempt to help someone, then the courts will take this into consideration if they are sued.

In the UK, no one has ever been successfully sued for giving someone CPR or using an AED on someone.

Be prepared to act decisively

Acting decisively and confidently in a medical emergency such as a cardiac arrest can mean the difference between life and death. Having confidence in your CPR skills and knowledge of how to use an AED equips you to save a life.

Imperative Training has been providing life-saving first aid training of the highest standard for more than two decades; educating more than 10,000 people every year.

Contact us on 01617767420 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn how we can help you.