When doing the right thing goes wrong

SubscribeThe Economist ProLog inSkip to contentSubscribeThe Economist ProLog inWeekly editionWorld in briefUnited StatesChinaBusinessFinance & economicsEuropeAsiaMiddle EastAmericasArtificial intelligenceCultureCartoons & gamesundefined undefinedSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribe to The EconomistUnlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newslettersSubscribeManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outManage accountGift subscriptionsLog outChristmas Specials | How good are good Samaritans?How a car crash in Los Angeles rewrote the law on helping strangersIllustration: Tara Anand Dec 19th 2024|Los Angeles|10 min readThis article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “When doing right goes wrong”From the December 21st 2024 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents⇒Explore the editionReuse this contentMore from Christmas SpecialsThe non-English words that defined 2025Eight terms from other languages sum up the year’s biggest storiesThe year as told through illustrationsOur art department looked back to highlight some of their favourites from the past yearThe Economist news quiz—Christmas specialFifty questions to test your knowledge of the year’s eventsOur Christmas double issueA guide to our special edition and its coverHow magicians stay relevant in the age of AI As TikTok dulls the world’s sense of wonder, conjurors are adaptingThe rise and fall and rebirth of lapsang souchongA smoky tea is fading in the West; in China, a better version survives