Survival of Causes of Action Act 1940 (SA)

South Australia Survival of Causes of Action Act 1940 An Act to amend the law as to the effect of death in relation to causes of action.

Contents 1 Short title 2 Survival of causes of action 3 Damages in actions which survive under this Act 4 Conditions precedent to survival of cause of action 5 Provision for cases where person liable dies before or at time of damage 6 Saving of other rights 7 Repeals Schedule—Prescribed dust diseases Legislative history

The Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows: 1—Short title This Act may be cited as the Survival of Causes of Action Act 1940. 2—Survival of causes of action (1) Subject to this Act— (a) a cause of action vested in a person at the time of his or her death survives for the benefit of his or her estate; and (b) a cause of action existing against a person at the time of his or her death survives against his or her estate. (2) This section does not apply to a cause of action in defamation. 3—Damages in actions which survive under this Act (1) Where a cause of action survives as aforesaid for the benefit of the estate of a deceased person, the damages recoverable for the benefit of the estate of that person— (a) shall not include damages for— (i) pain or suffering; (ii) bodily or mental harm; (iii) the curtailment of expectation of life; (iv) the loss of capacity to earn, or the loss of probable future earnings, in respect of the period for which the deceased person would have survived but for the act or omission that gave rise to the cause of action; (b) shall not include any exemplary damages; (d) where the death of that person has been caused by the act or omission which gives rise to the cause of action, shall be calculated without reference to any loss or gain to his estate consequent on his death, except that a sum in respect of funeral expenses may be included. (2) However, if a person commences an action for damages in respect of a dust-related condition and dies as a result of that condition before the action is finally determined, damages for pain and suffering, bodily and mental harm, and curtailment of expectation of life, and exemplary damages, are recoverable for the benefit of the estate of the person. (3) In subsection (2)— dust-related condition means— (a) a disease specified in the Schedule; or (b) any other pathological condition of the lungs, pleura or peritoneum that is attributable to dust. 4—Conditions precedent to survival of cause of action No proceedings shall be maintainable in respect of a cause of action in tort which by virtue of this Act has survived against the estate of a deceased person, unless either— (a) proceedings against him in respect of that cause of action were pending at the date of his death; or (b) the cause of action arose not earlier than six months before his death and proceedings are taken in respect thereof not later than six months after his executor or administrator took out probate or letters of administration. 5—Provision for cases where person liable dies before or at time of damage Where damage has been suffered by reason of any act or omission in respect of which a cause of action would have subsisted against any person if that person had not died before or at the same time as the damage was suffered, there shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Act, to have been subsisting against him before his death such cause of action in respect of that act or omission as would have subsisted if he had died after the damage was suffered. 6—Saving of other rights (1) This Act does not derogate from the rights of the dependants of a deceased person to bring an action in respect of the death of the deceased. (2) The Law Reform (Contributory Negligence and Apportionment of Liability) Act 2001 applies to a cause of action that survives for or against the estate of a deceased person under this Act. 7—Repeals The following enactments shall cease to have effect as part of the law of South Australia: (a) the Statute 13 Edw. 1, c. 23; (b) the Statute 4 Edw. 3, c. 7; (c) section 2 of The Civil Procedure Act 1833 (3 and 4 Will. 4, c. 42).