Legal Definitions - ambulatory automatism

Ambulatory automatism refers to a legal concept where a person performs actions involving walking or movement without conscious thought, voluntary control, or awareness of their actions. It is a specific type of automatism, which is a state where an individual's body acts independently of their conscious mind. In cases of ambulatory automatism, the person is physically moving or walking, but their actions are involuntary and they are not mentally directing their movements.

• Example 1: Sleepwalking

  Imagine a person who, while deeply asleep, gets out of bed, walks downstairs, opens the refrigerator, and then returns to bed, all without waking up or having any memory of these actions the next morning. If, during this sleepwalking episode, they inadvertently caused damage or injury, a defense of ambulatory automatism might be raised. Their movements were physical (ambulatory) but performed without conscious awareness or voluntary control (automatism), illustrating the term.

• Example 2: Severe Hypoglycemia

  Consider an individual with diabetes who experiences a severe drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia). In this state, they might become disoriented, confused, and wander out of their house, walking aimlessly down the street, perhaps even entering a neighbor's yard, without understanding where they are or what they are doing. Later, once their blood sugar stabilizes, they may have no recollection of these movements. If their wandering led to an unintended incident, their actions could be argued as ambulatory automatism because their physical movement was not under conscious control due to a medical condition.

• Example 3: Post-Concussion State

  A person involved in a car accident sustains a severe concussion. Immediately after the impact, in a dazed and confused state, they get out of their vehicle and begin walking away from the scene, crossing traffic without looking, and eventually collapsing a block away. They later report having no memory of getting out of the car or walking. In this scenario, their movements were physical (ambulatory) but performed without conscious awareness or voluntary control due to the traumatic brain injury (automatism).