Skip to content

AED Programs in Corporations: Legal Considerations

Early defibrillation is the most effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest, the nation's number one cause of death. Heart defibrillation within three minutes increases the chances of survival to 70 percent. Because few local EMS services can respond that quickly, companies that have AED devices on site are in a position to save the lives of employees, customers, and visitors.

AED deployment can sometimes be deterred by concerns about possible liability from using AEDs. However, the law is on the side of companies that implement AED programs:

  • The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (Federal Law 106-505, signed by President Clinton in 2000) encourages placement of AED machines and provides AED users and acquirers with liability protection. Additionally, each state in the US has Good Samaritan laws that exempt from liability anyone who renders emergency treatment with a defibrillator to save someone's life.
  • Because a victim of sudden cardiac arrest is without a pulse, he or she is, in effect, already dead. The only known way to restore the pulse, and the victim's life, is by using an AED. That's why AED laws support and encourage the use of AEDs by lay responders.
  • No company has ever been found at fault in a wrongful death suit involving an AED. In fact, with AEDs becoming common safety devices, organizations could be at risk for not having these devices on site.
  • Many states have laws that require AEDs to be installed in public places such as schools, sports stadiums, fitness centers, shopping malls, airports, and hotels. For more information on laws or bills in legislation for your state, visit our AED Laws / Legislation page.
Good Samaritan laws typically ask organizations with AED programs to meet three types of requirements. These requirements are for medical direction, user training, and record keeping/tracking. These requirements simply provide a framework to ensure that a company's AED program is well managed and that the company's employees are ready to save a life when the time comes. Cardiac Science Program Management services oversee these components for companies. We provide quality CPR/AED training, meticulous record keeping, and a licensed physician to oversee the program.

Introducing the Cardiac Science indemnification policy

To remove any remaining legal concern you may have about deploying AEDs at your workplace, Cardiac Science offers users comprehensive liability indemnification, over and above what is currently available in the marketplace.

Contact us for a free site assessment and more information on AED options for your organization. Cardiac Science Powerheart portable AEDs are safe, reliable, and very easy-to-use. Our Program Management services can prepare your employees to save lives and help ensure that your AED program meets legal requirements.