Fletcher v Hamilton-Gibbs & Ors [2002] NSWSC 899

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Fletcher v Hamilton-Gibbs & Ors [2002] NSWSC 899 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Division Professional Negligence List FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 12351/95 HEARING DATE(S) : 13 August - 15 August 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 1 October 2002

Joanna Wilhelmina Fletcher (Plaintiff) Dr Peter Neil Hamilton-Gibbs (1st Defendant) PARTIES : Dr Peter Durey (2nd Defendant) Michael Besser (3rd Defendant) Central Sydney Area Health Service (4th Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Studdert J

M. Cranitch SC/R. Ingram (Plaintiff) COUNSEL : D. Davies SC (3rd Defendant) S. Kalfus (4th Defendant) Graham Billing & Co. (Plaintiff) SOLICITORS : Tress Cocks & Maddox (3rd Defendant) Ebsworth & Ebsworth (4th Defendant) CATCHWORDS : Limitation of action - application for extension of time - whether applicant aware of connection between "the personal injury" and the respondent's alleged "act or omission" - what needed to constitute awareness - whether just and reasonable to order that time be extended - consideration of prejudice - Limitation Act ss 60G, I. LEGISLATION CITED : Limitation Act Drayton Coal Pty Limited v Drain (unreported, NSWCA, 22 August 1995) Dedousis v The Water Board (1993-94) 181 CLR 171 Telstra Corp Limited v Rea [2002] NSWCA 49 Briggs v Sewell [2002] NSWCA 182 Milperra Marketing Pty Limited v Bayliss [2001] NSWCA 315 Maclean v Sydney Water Corporation [2001] NSWCA 122 Commonwealth of Australia v Clarke [2000] NSWCA 174 CASES CITED : Gladesville RSL Club v Bartsch (1998) 44 NSWLR 674 CSR Limited v Rendell (unreported, NSWCA, 7 August 1996) Do Carmo v Ford Excavations Pty Limited (1983-84) 154 CLR 234 Dow Corning v Paton (unreported, NSWCA, 24 April 1998) Martin v Abbott Australasia Pty Limited (1981) 2 NSWLR 430 Briggs v James Hardy & Co. Pty Limited (1989) 16 NSWLR 549 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996-97) 186 CLR 541 Holt v Winter (2000) 49 NSWLR 128 Itek Graphix Pty Limited v Elliott (2002) 54 NSWLR 207 DECISION : See para 90