N.Y. Education Law 8357 – Non-liability of certified athletic trainers for first aid or emergency treatment
* § 8357. Non-liability of certified athletic trainers for first aid or emergency treatment. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special or local law, any certified athletic trainer who voluntarily and without the expectation of monetary compensation renders first aid or emergency treatment at the scene of an accident or other emergency, outside a hospital, doctor's office or any other place having proper and necessary athletic training equipment, to a person who is unconscious, ill or injured, shall not be liable for damages for injuries alleged to have been sustained by such person or for damages for the death of such person alleged to have occurred by reason of an act or omission in the rendering of such first aid or emergency treatment unless it is established that such injuries were or such death was caused by gross negligence on the part of such athletic trainer. Nothing in this section shall be deemed or construed to relieve a certified athletic trainer from liability for damages for injuries or death caused by an act or omission on the part of an athletic trainer while rendering professional services in the normal and ordinary course of his or her practice.
Terms Used In N.Y. Education Law 8357
- athletic trainer: means any person who is duly certified in accordance with this article to perform athletic training under the supervision of a physician and limits his or her practice to secondary schools, institutions of postsecondary education, professional athletic organizations, or a person who, under the supervision of a physician, carries out comparable functions on orthopedic athletic injuries, excluding spinal cord injuries, in a health care organization. See N.Y. Education Law 8351
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
* NB Effective until December 22, 2025
* § 8357. Non-liability of licensed athletic trainers for first aid or emergency treatment. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of any general, special or local law, any licensed athletic trainer who voluntarily and without the expectation of monetary compensation renders first aid or emergency treatment at the scene of an accident or other emergency, outside a hospital, doctor's office or any other place having proper and necessary athletic training equipment, to a person who is unconscious, ill or injured, shall not be liable for damages for injuries alleged to have been sustained by such person or for damages for the death of such person alleged to have occurred by reason of an act or omission in the rendering of such first aid or emergency treatment unless it is established that such injuries were or such death was caused by gross negligence on the part of such athletic trainer. Nothing in this section shall be deemed or construed to relieve a licensed athletic trainer from liability for damages for injuries or death caused by an act or omission on the part of an athletic trainer while rendering professional services in the normal and ordinary course of his or her practice.
* NB Effective December 22, 2025