Action in the event tent! Medical-legal issues facing the volunteer event physician.
BACKGROUND
Physicians need to consider medical-legal issues when volunteering their time to assist with community mass-participation and athletic events. This article also reviews medical-legal aspects of the volunteer physician's out-of-state practice. Seven cases illustrate the importance of expertise and planning to avoid legal issues for the volunteer event physician.


METHODS
Relevant studies, expert opinion, medical-legal legislation, and medical-legal cases were reviewed.


RESULTS
Physicians typically make 4 common assumptions regarding these types of events: Good Samaritan legislation, event liability insurance, personal liability insurance, and waivers. We discuss the intent of these assumptions and the reality of how, or how not, they provide any protection to the volunteer event physician.


CONCLUSIONS
The intent of this article is to make physicians aware of medial-legal issues when volunteering their time for community and athletic events.
Geisinger Health System Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania ; Temple University School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
David S
DS
Ross
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, School of Social Work, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Alishia
A
Ferguson
David L. Herbert and Associates, LLC, Canton, Ohio.
David L
DL
Herbert
Good Samaritan legislation; legal liability; volunteer event physician; waiver