|
Date of knowledge for the purposes of this Act.
|
2.—(1) For the purposes of any provision of this Act whereby the time within which an action in respect of an injury may be brought depends on a person's date of knowledge (whether he is the person injured or a personal representative or dependant of the person injured) references to that person's date of knowledge are references to the date on which he first had knowledge of the following facts:
|
| |
(a) that the person alleged to have been injured had been injured,
|
| |
(b) that the injury in question was significant,
|
| |
(c) that the injury was attributable in whole or in part to the act or omission which is alleged to constitute negligence, nuisance or breach of duty,
|
| |
(d) the identity of the defendant, and
|
| |
(e) if it is alleged that the act or omission was that of a person other than the defendant, the identity of that person and the additional facts supporting the bringing of an action against the defendant;
|
| |
and knowledge that any acts or omissions did or did not, as a matter of law, involve negligence, nuisance or breach of duty is irrelevant.
|
| |
(2) For the purposes of this section, a person's knowledge includes knowledge which he might reasonably have been expected to acquire—
|
| |
(a) from facts observable or ascertainable by him, or
|
| |
(b) from facts ascertainable by him with the help of medical or other appropriate expert advice which it is reasonable for him to seek.
|
| |
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section—
|
| |
(a) a person shall not be fixed under this section with knowledge of a fact ascertainable only with the help of expert advice so long as he has taken all reasonable steps to obtain (and, where appropriate, to act on) that advice; and
|
| |
(b) a person injured shall not be fixed under this section with knowledge of a fact relevant to the injury which he has failed to acquire as a result of that injury.
|