The shocking video of a Connecticut man who was hit by a car and left in the street while people drove and walked by him has everyone wondering why no one stopped. Could it be because some fear if you help and end up hurting someone you could be held responsible?

There are Good Samaritan laws throughout the country, including Indiana and Michigan. One local attorney says these laws were designed to encourage people to help each other.

"You cannot be sued,” said South Bend Attorney Doug Small.

Small says there is no legal reason for people to not help in that stunning video of a man hit by a car and left alone while people pass by.

"Could be any type of an accident — automobile, or they fall or whatever it might be — they will not be liable for responding to that,” he explained. “The only way they would have liability is if they acted with gross negligence.”

"I can't believe that many people would just walk by, or not stop, and run past him, I just thought that was awful,” a passerby told WSBT News.

So if you are in an emergency situation, besides calling 911, what else should you do?

"Don't try to move anyone. If traffic needs to be directed, you can try to do that,” said Cpt. Todd Skwarcan, a paramedic. "If you thought enough to dial 911 because you saw someone, stick around and help guide the responders to what you saw."

Everyone would like to think that this would never happen here.

"I would stop and help,” one woman told WSBT News.

"I would still say people do tend to try and be helpful,” Skwarcan said.

Paramedics told WSBT News about 95 percent of their calls come from cell phones where people call and report an emergency and then just keep driving.

Some lawyers WSBT spoke with say they would not take a case where someone tries to challenge the Good Samaritan Law.