Tom Panton
- Year called:
- 2002
- Email:
- tompanton@ropewalk.co.uk
- Qualifications:
- LLB, University of Kent
- Practice areas:
- Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Disease, Fraudulent Claims, Regulatory, Employment
Tom Panton was called to the Bar in 2002.
He is a specialist in personal injury, clinical negligence, industrial disease, fraudulent claims, regulatory and employment claims.
Personal Injury
He works for Claimants and Defendants in roughly equal measure in personal injury matters. He has extensive experience of fast and multi-track trials and is regularly instructed in related Inquests and criminal proceedings.
He appeared for the Third Party in Hood -v- Mitie Property Services (Midlands) Ltd & Royal Mail Group plc [2005] All ER (D) 11 (Jul) (contribution proceedings by employer against occupier) led by Ian McLaren QC.
He appeared for the Claimant in Smith -v- Northamptonshire County Council [2008] EWCA Civ 181; [2009] UKHL 27, representing Mrs Smith at first instance and then led by Patrick Limb QC in the House of Lords (dealing with the scope of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998).
He has a particular interest in Health and Safety work (particularly involving claims for alleged breaches of statutory duty), Local Authority work, psychiatric injury cases, Defective Premises Act claims, and contribution proceedings between Defendants.
Seminars delivered by him on related subjects include The Law of Causation (feat. Jason Cox); Liability for Work Equipment; Confidential Records and the Data Protection Act; Pre-Action Disclosure and the Freedom of Information Act; Schools’ Liability – the legal and risk-management issues.
Clinical Negligence
He acts for both Claimants and Defendants in clinical negligence cases and has experience of various interim hearings and settling appropriate statements of case.
Disease
He has experience of asbestos, HAVS, deafness and dermatitis litigation in the fast and multi-tracks both in court and on paper. He acts for both Claimants and Defendants.
Fraudulent Claims
He receives regular instructions in cases involving actual or suspected ‘malingering’. In the road traffic collision context he has trial experience of suspected fraudulent claims at both fast and multi-track level.
Regulatory
Acting for the Prosecution, he has experience of summary trials in various regulatory matters including Health and Safety at Work and food offences.
For Defendants he has experience at both summary and Crown Court level in Health and Safety matters, mainly representing companies accused of offences which have resulted in the death of or serious injury to an employee.
Employment
He works for both Claimants and (frequently Local Authority) Respondents in employment matters. He has experience of a wide variety of Tribunal hearings including cases of unfair dismissal, age discrimination and disability discrimination.
General
Away from the Bar Tom’s interests include cricket, golf, cycling, American Football, real ale, and fell-walking in the Lake District.
Testimonials
"Tom Panton who is ‘thorough, knowledgeable and personable’, has a busy personal injury and regulatory law practice."
Reported cases
Smith v Northamptonshire County Council [2008] EWCA Civ 181; [2009] UKHL 27 (PUWER).
Hood v Mitie Property Services (Midlands) Ltd & Royal Mail Group plc [2005] All ER (D) 11 (Jul) (contribution proceedings by employer against occupier).
