Offering assistance to a Person severly hurt

[kiniyow]

Today near the Jomtien Market I heard a Pop near where I was standing....Looked like a young Thai man who fell in the road on his back and cracked his skull open..Maybe a seizure or drunk but he was severly injured in the road and was jerking around looked like he was dieing to me...Frothing at the mouth..I ran inside a local Bar got a girl to come quickly..

When she saw this Guy bleeding profusely from his head she got scared and ran..I told her in Thai to call an Ambulance...Another girl came running and a repeat of the first...Then a Baht Bus Passed but failed to stop...

I wanted to offer assistance but was told Long ago do not interfere by a Thai Lawyer....You Could be the cause of his death so in Shame I did Nothing to assist him but other then ask Numerous Thais to call an Ambulance....Severe blood loss and the entire time few that I saw no one wanted to get involved....Do not know the outcome..He eventually stopped twitching..

What are the percussions of aiding the severly Injured?

[Thongkorn]

I would help. I would like to think some one would help me in that situation, load of bolox about being sued,

Edited January 10, 2015 by Thongkorn

[petercool]

Poor taste post deliberately shortening a post to effect its meaning and reply quoting it were removed.

There is indeed potential liability when providing aid in such situations and it is doubtful any untrained person could have actually helped. Should one do the wrong thing in administering any aid - no matter what intentions were - someone could claim you caused more damage than good. Flagging a motorbike taxi guy might be the best option as they might know numbers to call.

[faraday]

I would, at the very least ensure the person had an Airway & was not in any further danger, if possible.

[kaorop]

Poor taste post deliberately shortening a post to effect its meaning and reply quoting it were removed.

There is indeed potential liability when providing aid in such situations and it is doubtful any untrained person could have actually helped. Should one do the wrong thing in administering any aid - no matter what intentions were - someone could claim you caused more damage than good. Flagging a motorbike taxi guy might be the best option as they might know numbers to call.

someone with a first aid cert could help, and simple things like stopping blood loss anyone can do

you can die very quickly if a major artery is severed and that would be a senseless death

you can also quietly leave the scene when rescue arrives

[uhuh]

Happened to me once.

The guy collapsed in the middle of a busy road, had a seizure, and the next car was going to run over him.

So i "secured the area" by just standing there (i am tall and very conspicuous).

Then checked vital signs and some Thais carried him onto the pavement.

As it happened, the house next door was a medical clinic. The doctor came and i reported what i had witnessed as i was the person closest to the scene.

Then the ambulance from a nearby hospital arrived.

I would not occur to me not to try and help.

[lou62]

Terrible thing to witness and I understand your dilemma being on the spot. Would like to think I'd have helped as best I could.

[uptheos]

"I told her in Thai to call an Ambulance".

If you can speak Thai why didn't you call an ambulance?

[Tokay]

I won't get involved here for a few different reasons. At most I'll call the police and the ambulance I have saved in my phone. Then I'm stepping away.

Also, with the incredibly high HIV rate up north, I'm not trying to get myself covered in stranger blood.

[redandyellow]

You were in Detroit you say?

[redandyellow]

Because I have advanced first aid, I would assist the victim, while calling out to someone passing to please call the police.. and when someone more experienced than I came along, even a passer by could be a nurse or doctor, - defer to their expertise and let them take over from there..

signed,

don't complain, instead, do something..

[kiniyow]

"I told her in Thai to call an Ambulance".

If you can speak Thai why didn't you call an ambulance?

Valid question..Short runs from my house I rarely carry a Phone...

[thaibeachlovers]

I won't get involved here for a few different reasons. At most I'll call the police and the ambulance I have saved in my phone. Then I'm stepping away.

Also, with the incredibly high HIV rate up north, I'm not trying to get myself covered in stranger blood.

I'm with you on that.

When I had a m'bike accident and was lying on the ground bleeding, no one tried to administer first aid to me, but someone called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital.

Even the cop that came only asked me for my driver's licence.

It's a foreign country, and such matters are best left to them. If they won't help, why should I/ we? However, if the victim was obviously bleeding to death, and no one was helping, I'd do something to stop the bleeding, but that's all. The rest would be up to the ambulance crew.

It'd be different if it were a farang lying on the ground- for starters, they are unlikely to be able to sue me for alleged negligence.

BTW, when I had my orientation course in Saudi, the first thing they told us was if we witnessed an accident we should run away as fast as possible, and if we were in a taxi that was in a collision, throw the fare at the driver and run away as fast as possible. To get involved would be an admission of guilt.

[thaibeachlovers]

"I told her in Thai to call an Ambulance".

If you can speak Thai why didn't you call an ambulance?

Valid question..Short runs from my house I rarely carry a Phone...

This thread gives a good reason to always carry a phone when outside the property. I wouldn't physically help ( unless the victim was bleeding to death ), but I would call the ambulance if no one else did.

I was once in a van on the expressway and we saw a truck/ trailer unit jacknife into the central reservation. The driver would have been severely injured. I wanted the driver to stop so we could help, but he wouldn't ( nor did anyone else ). Someone else in the van explained that he wouldn't stop because it might cause a problem for us if we tried to help. However, the driver called on his mobile for the police to go there. Lucky he had one, as it was back when mobiles were only just coming available.

[wooloomooloo]

BTW, when I had my orientation course in Saudi, the first thing they told us was if we witnessed an accident we should run away as fast as possible, and if we were in a taxi that was in a collision, throw the fare at the driver and run away as fast as possible. To get involved would be an admission of guilt.

Very funny.

Wouldn't it be more humane to make sure the poor blighter was alive and then run.

[ATF]

If someone has a severe head injury or neck/back trauma DO NOT touch them. Call an ambulance immediately. If they are on the road protect them from traffic and if they are conscious holding their hand and telling them they will be fine dramatically lowers stress levels.

Never try to give medical assistance unless you have first aid training or are really sure you know what you are doing.

Put some of these numbers in your phone:

SOS - Police And Fire Department
199

Tourist Police Emergency
1155

Tourist Police
038-429371

Pattaya Police Station Soi 9
038-42 08 02-5

Banglamung Police Station
038-22 18 00-1

Highway Police
038-42 54 40

Pattaya Marine Police Station
038 42 36 66

Pattaya Fire Department
038-42 59 43

Naklua Fire Department
038-22 10 00

Immigration Police
038-25 27 50-1

Emergency
1719

Pattaya Memorial Hospital
038-42 94 22-4

Banglamung Hospital
038-42 92 44-5

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital
038-42 77 51-5

Pattaya International Hospital
038-42 83 75-5

Edited January 10, 2015 by ATF

[LuckyLew]

I would have to say if you are trained in some form of medical care or even as a lifeguard with CPR certs. you should try help

to at least ensure the person is comfortable. However if you have no training or knowledge you should just try ensure the

proper people / ambulance / police are called.

[krisb]

It was raised on a thread once before here.

You can help without being sued if you have a certificate.

In any country you can potentially be sued for giving first aid.

I seriously doubt anyone would sue for trying to help. Not like you would have tried a trachiotemy or something is it.

[Guderian]

If someone has a severe head injury or neck/back trauma DO NOT touch them. Call an ambulance immediately. If they are on the road protect them from traffic and if they are conscious holding their hand and telling them they will be fine dramatically lowers stress levels.

Never try to give medical assistance unless you have first aid training or are really sure you know what you are doing.

Put some of these numbers in your phone:

SOS - Police And Fire Department

199

Tourist Police Emergency

1155

Tourist Police

038-429371

Pattaya Police Station Soi 9

038-42 08 02-5

Banglamung Police Station

038-22 18 00-1

Highway Police

038-42 54 40

Pattaya Marine Police Station

038 42 36 66

Pattaya Fire Department

038-42 59 43

Naklua Fire Department

038-22 10 00

Immigration Police

038-25 27 50-1

Emergency

1719

Pattaya Memorial Hospital

038-42 94 22-4

Banglamung Hospital

038-42 92 44-5

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital

038-42 77 51-5

Pattaya International Hospital

038-42 83 75-5

Great list. It may be worth adding 1669 which is supposed to be the number to call for an ambulance?

(as long as you can speak Thai, I know, I know...)

[ATF]

Guderian, on 11 Jan 2015 - 11:49, said:

Great list. It may be worth adding 1669 which is supposed to be the number to call for an ambulance?

(as long as you can speak Thai, I know, I know...)

I believe 1669 is the emergency number for Banglamung Hospital. 1719 is the emergency number for Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

BPH maybe expensive but it is the best. In most cases the M/C taxi drivers will call Sawang Boriboon 038 488 882.

[petercool]

Derogatory slur post removed

[bkkjames]

well I don't know about this - I would like to think I would try to help : as a father if I saw a poor kid in the state you describe, I don't know how I could just let him die without trying to get him some help.

difference I think if someone crashes their motorbike than say a guy involved in some mafia shootout.

guess it's easier to just pretend we didn't see it and just carry on our way to the mall.

not an easy call tbh.

[uptheos]

I doubt if Thailand has the unwritten 'Good Samaritan Law', but if someone's hurt you gotta try and help in whatever way you can.

[ATF]

There are many things to consider in helping an accident victim and getting sued isn't one of them but it's easy to cause more problems by helping.

Moving someone could easily paralyze them for life and removing their helmet could easily release their brain from their fractured skull.

Even giving them water could cause internal bleeding so if you want to help at least watch a few YT videos and learn how to do CPR properly and how to stem bleeding from a gunshot or other wound.

In 99% of cases it's best to comfort and protect the victim until the emergency services arrive or take the victim directly to hospital IF they have movement in their legs.

Best advice is stay calm and don't panic and call the emergency services, but everyone should learn CPR.

[edd]

When I was in the UK I was qualified to instructor leavel in First Aid.

Through my job and with the agreement with the police I attended 30 + serious road accidents on the motorway per year for over 30 years.

Retired to Thailand..

On seeing an accident up country I stopped, other drivers already there, and I was going to see if I could help but all the other drivers told me to leave saying "the police will say it's your fault"

The reason given was "you farang- you have insurance"

So I left.

Don't know if I could have helped but I do carry a full First Aid kit, present from my company when I retired.

I have thought on the situation many times and I can not decide if I would change my actions if a similar situation happends again.

If in UK 100%

In Thailand ????

Also I needed to re qualify every 3 years so my certification is 6 years out of date.

Edited January 11, 2015 by edd

[kiniyow]

Really Sad Thailand don't have just One Emergency Number to call for Accidents--Fires--Needing Ambulance or Police...Why store 20 Emergency Numbers in your Phone when ONE would work for any Emergency

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Because I have advanced first aid, I would assist the victim, while calling out to someone passing to please call the police.. and when someone more experienced than I came along, even a passer by could be a nurse or doctor, - defer to their expertise and let them take over from there..

signed,

don't complain, instead, do something..

This is exactly what you do. The first person to arrive is in charge because that person has read the situation and stays with the victim. You ask someone else to call police/ambulance (the first responder is not the one to call an ambulance even if he speaks Thai). Get others to do things as you monitor vital signs and shock. Of course, this is Thailand and look what happened, people scurried away.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I have been told many times by Thai people to leave the scene of an accident. No particular detail was presented as to why but I was strongly urged to stay away. Always had the feeling it was because the foreigner would somehow lose in the end.

[ATF]

kiniyow, on 11 Jan 2015 - 18:46, said:

Really Sad Thailand don't have just One Emergency Number to call for Accidents--Fires--Needing Ambulance or Police...Why store 20 Emergency Numbers in your Phone when ONE would work for any Emergency

I think the main reason for this is because the operators would get paid to channel all accident victims to a particular hospital.

Even Sawang Boriboon and other voluntary services fight over accident victims.

There are national emergency numbers but they are for the Police and Fire Brigade 191 & 199 but I expect they would call an ambulance for you but they would probably answer in Thai.

[Satcommlee]

It a sad situation in Thailand..

If you see a motorcyclist dying on the side of the road and you stop to try and offer what assistance you can, there is a risk you could be accused of hitting him in the first place.

Many countries have a kind of Samaritan law, which protects you from prosecution if you truly believed you were helping preserve life or limb within the realms of common sense, but in Thailand I think that is not the case, if you picked him up and dragged him to the side of the road and he ended up being paralysed then you could be sued.. Remember you are the wealthy farang in thier eyes and fair game.

I would still try and do something but would need witnesses - but you tried to involve Thai's but they run away.

In the UK they encourage normal people to learn first aid, offering free courses in the ABC's etc.. This don't exist in Thailand.