Webster

I

Introduction

This action arises from a shooting incident on January 28, 1982, during which the husband of a coworker of appellant Robert L. Webster (Webster) opened fire with a gun in the office building where Webster worked and shot several persons, including Webster, who was severely injured. During the shooting, Webster had dialed the 911 emergency telephone number to notify the police.

The appeal concerns claims for indemnification for injuries submitted by Webster, his wife, Lorraine Webster, and their daughter, Robyn Webster (appellants) to respondent State Board of Control (Board) under two separate articles of the Government Code —article 1, section 13959 et seq., entitled “Victims of Crime” (Victims of Crime Act), and article 2, section 13970 et seq., entitled “Citizens Benefiting the Public” (commonly referred to as the Good Samaritan Act). Both the Victims of Crime Act and the Good Samaritan Act are administered by the Board. (§§ 13968, 13974.) The Board questioned whether Webster was a “good Samaritan," limited his recovery under the Victims of Crime Act to $2,829 for medical expenses not reimbursed from other sources, and denied the claims of his wife…