1 (b) Depending on the circumstances, either answer could be right. We can assume from the facts that C owed a duty of care to A, and C has arguably failed in this duty by failing to give A speedy attention. But was it C's breach of this duty that caused A's death?

If, when A went to see C, it was already too late to induce effective vomiting, then the delay in seeing A was not the cause of A's death, and C would not be liable for his failure to act. On the other hand, if there was still time to effectively induce vomiting when A first got to the hospital the conclusion would be different.

So it can be seen that the answer depends on working out what would have happened if the defendant had not negligently omitted to act. This can sometimes be difficult, depending on the exact circumstances.