As she drives to her medical office building to start a very busy day, an Inova physician passes a car on the shoulder.The car appears to have been in an accident minutes ago.The physician decides to turn around and manages to pull up behind the damaged auto.Its driver and passengers all are conscious -but are in medical distress, bleeding and shaken.One passenger cries out that he may have suffered a rib fracture because the air bag deployed hard into his midsection.These people need medical assistance ASAP.Our physician realizes that an ambulance may take 10-15 minutes.Yet that delay could cause further injury or even death.She needs to get to her own medical practice but doesn't want to abandon these individuals.

• What should the physician do?
• What does the law require her to do?
• Would your analysis change if a random citizen came upon the scene?
• How great is the risk of liability in this situation?