Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

35 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8151 (2026)

Limitations on liability.

✓ current as of May 2026

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SUBCHAPTER C

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec.

8151. Limitations on liability.

8152. Peer review.

8153. Support of emergency medical services.

8154. Prohibited acts.

8155. Surrender of license, accreditation or certification.

8156. Penalties.

8157. Adjudications and judicial review.

8158. Injured police animals.

§ 8151. Limitations on liability.

The following shall apply:

(1) No medical command physician, medical command facility medical director or medical command facility, which in good faith provides a medical command to an EMS provider or student enrolled in an EMS course of instruction approved by the department, shall be liable for civil damages as a result of issuing the instruction, absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

(2) No EMS agency, EMS agency medical director or EMS provider who in good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care authorized by this chapter shall be liable for civil damages as a result of an act or omission, absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct. This paragraph shall also apply to students enrolled in approved courses of instruction and supervised pursuant to rules and regulations.

(3) No approved EMS training institute nor any entity participating as part of any approved educational program offered by the institute as authorized by this chapter shall be liable for any civil damages as a result of primary and continuing educational practice by duly enrolled students under proper supervision, absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

(4) No EMS provider who in good faith attempts to render emergency care authorized by this chapter at an emergency scene while en route to a place of employment shall receive any form of reprimand or penalty by an employer as a result of late arrival at the place of employment. An employer may require written verification from the EMS provider who shall obtain the written verification from either the police officer or other person who is in charge at the emergency scene.

(5) No EMS agency medical director or regional medical director who in good faith gives instructions to or provides primary and continuing educational training to an EMS provider shall be liable for civil damages for issuing the instructions, education or training, absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

(6) Neither the department, the Commonwealth EMS Medical Director, a regional EMS council medical director nor any other official or employee of the department or a regional EMS council shall be liable for civil damages arising out of an EMS provider or a student enrolled in an EMS course of instruction approved by the department following protocols approved under this chapter.

(7) No EMS provider or EMS agency may be subject to civil liability based solely on failure to obtain consent in rendering EMS to any person, regardless of age, where the person is unable to give consent for any reason, including minority, and where there is no other person reasonably available who is legally authorized to give or refuse to give consent, if the EMS provider has acted in good faith and without knowledge of facts negating consent.

(8) No EMS provider or EMS agency may be subject to civil liability based solely on refusal to provide treatment or services requested by the patient or the person responsible for making medical care decisions for the patient if the treatment or services requested are not prescribed or authorized by Statewide or regional protocols established under this chapter and the EMS provider has:

(i) contacted a medical command physician who refused to authorize the requested treatment or service; or

(ii) made a good faith effort to contact a medical command physician and was unable to do so.

(9) No dispatcher of EMS who in good faith collects information about a patient from a caller or makes dispatch assignments based upon the information collected may be subject to civil liability based upon the information collected or a dispatch assignment, absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 2011–2026 · leading case: Williams v. Geico Gov't Employees Ins., 32 A.3d 1195 (Pa. 2011).

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Williams v. Geico Gov't Employees Ins., 32 A.3d 1195 (Pa. 2011). · cites it 2× “” 35 Pa.C.S. § 8151. The *1203 EMSA, however, does not reference police officers.”

F. Rahman v. White Haven Ambulance (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2018). · cites it 3× “Appellee also asserted immunity under Section 8151(2) of the EMS Act, 35 Pa. C.S. § 8151(2) (related to immunity for good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct).”

Fry, F. v. Montrose Minute Men, Inc. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023). · cites it 2× “” 35 Pa.C.S. § 8151(2). In defining “gross negligence,” this Court has interpreted the phrase to be liability that is “premised on facts indicating more egregiously deviant conduct than ordinary carelessness, inadvertence, laxity, or indifference.”

K. Claypoole & M. Knepp as Co-Administrators of the Est. of G.M. Noel v. Altoona-Logan Twp. Mobile Med. Emergency Dept. Auth. d/b/a AMED (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2026). · cites it 2× “35 Pa.C.S. § 8151(2). Section 8151(2), by its plain language, is not a claim-creating provision; it is a liability-prohibiting provision with two narrow exceptions.”

Lamarr, D. v. Delaware Cnty. Mem'l Hosp. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023). ““Since ‘the construction of ____________________________________________ 23 The EMSSA provides, in pertinent part: No EMS agency, EMS agency medical director or EMS provider who in good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care authorized by this chapter…”

Thomas Sutton v. Sec'y United States Dep't of Vets. Aff (3rd Cir. 2024). “Second, he contends that the District Court erred when it concluded that even if Sutton had filed a certificate of merit, Fayette EMS “is immune from suit under the” Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Services Act, 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 8151(2). Appx013.”

— 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8151(2) — 5 cases

Fry, F. v. Montrose Minute Men, Inc. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023). “” 35 Pa.C.S. § 8151(2). In defining “gross negligence,” this Court has interpreted the phrase to be liability that is “premised on facts indicating more egregiously deviant conduct than ordinary carelessness, inadvertence, laxity, or indifference.”

F. Rahman v. White Haven Ambulance (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2018). “Appellee also asserted immunity under Section 8151(2) of the EMS Act, 35 Pa. C.S. § 8151(2) (related to immunity for good faith attempts to render or facilitate emergency medical care absent a showing of gross negligence or willful misconduct).”

K. Claypoole & M. Knepp as Co-Administrators of the Est. of G.M. Noel v. Altoona-Logan Twp. Mobile Med. Emergency Dept. Auth. d/b/a AMED (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2026). “35 Pa.C.S. § 8151(2). Section 8151(2), by its plain language, is not a claim-creating provision; it is a liability-prohibiting provision with two narrow exceptions.”

— 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8151(6) — 1 case

— 35 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 8151(7) — 1 case

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