Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker is being hailed as a hero, after he rescued his neighbor from a house fire – and nearly got trapped in the flames himself, the New York Daily News reports.

“I didn’t feel bravery – I felt terror,” Booker, 42, told reporters about his daring act Thursday night, when he arrived home to find his neighbor’s house engulfed in flames.

A member of Booker’s security detail tried to stop him from the rescue, but Booker was adamant. “If I don’t go in, this lady is going to die,” he reportedly said, according to the Daily News.

Legally, Booker didn’t have to rescue his neighbor – and if he’d made things worse, he could have been held liable.

There are some exceptions to the general rule, however. Courts have held that a person generally does, or may, have a duty to rescue under certain circumstances when:

  • The person’s negligence creates the perilous situation,
  • The person has a special relationship with the victim, such as a spousal or parent-child relationship, or
  • The person begins to rescue, but then stops.

If a person chooses to attempt a rescue, as Booker did, courts generally require the rescuer to act with reasonable care. In some states, New Jersey included, acting recklessly during a rescue may lead to liability for a victim’s injuries.

In Mayor Cory Booker’s rescue, the former Stanford football player carried his 47-year-old neighbor Zina Hodge to safety and suffered second-degree burns on his hand, the Daily News reports. Booker was also treated for smoke inhalation; Hodge is being treated for burns.

You can watch clips from Booker’s press conference in this Associated Press video:

Related Resources:

  • Newark Mayor Cory Booker: Race into home fire was a ‘come to Jesus moment’ (CBS News)
  • Cory Booker - Mayor of Newark, New Jersey (Official Website)
  • Good Samaritans Save Woman’s Life, Then Sue Her (FindLaw’s Injured)
  • Will Alameda Water Rescue Policy Lead to Lawsuit? (FindLaw’s Injured)

You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help

Civil Rights

Block on Trump’s Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court

Criminal

Judges Can Release Secret Grand Jury Records

Politicians Can’t Block Voters on Facebook, Court Rules