Legal Definitions - firefighter's rule

The firefighter's rule is a legal principle that generally prevents emergency professionals, such as firefighters, police officers, or paramedics, from suing a person for injuries they unintentionally suffer while responding to an emergency situation that the person created or caused.

This rule acknowledges that these professionals voluntarily undertake inherent risks as part of their dangerous duties. Its purpose is to prevent individuals from being held liable for injuries sustained by emergency responders who are called to assist them in a crisis, provided the injury is a foreseeable risk of the emergency response itself and not due to a separate, independent act of negligence.

Here are some examples illustrating the firefighter's rule:

• Example 1: Accidental House Fire

  A homeowner accidentally leaves a candle burning too close to curtains, causing a house fire. A firefighter responding to the blaze enters the smoke-filled home and, due to poor visibility, trips over a fallen beam, breaking their leg. In this scenario, the homeowner unintentionally caused the fire that led to the emergency. The firefighter's rule would likely prevent the injured firefighter from suing the homeowner for negligence related to the broken leg, as the injury occurred while responding to the very situation the homeowner inadvertently created.

• Example 2: Car Accident Response

  A driver, momentarily distracted, swerves and crashes into a roadside barrier, creating a hazardous scene with scattered debris and a leaking fuel tank. A police officer arriving to secure the area and direct traffic is struck by a piece of flying shrapnel from the damaged vehicle as it shifts, suffering a severe cut. The distracted driver unintentionally caused the accident and the dangerous conditions. Under the firefighter's rule, the officer would generally be barred from suing the driver for the injury, as it was sustained while responding to the emergency situation the driver caused.

• Example 3: Medical Emergency at Home

  An individual experiences a sudden, severe allergic reaction after accidentally consuming a food they are highly sensitive to, requiring immediate paramedic assistance. As a paramedic rushes into the home to provide aid, they slip on a wet patch on the kitchen floor (from a spilled drink that occurred during the frantic moments before the call) and sprain their wrist. The individual's accidental allergic reaction created the medical emergency. The firefighter's rule would typically prevent the paramedic from suing the individual for the sprained wrist, as the injury occurred while responding to the urgent situation the individual unintentionally brought about.