Frank Burton QC

Barrister Profile

Recognised in both the Legal 500 and the Chambers Directory as a “leading silk” in Personal Injury and in the Legal 500 as a 'leading silk' in Medical Negligence, Frank has an established practice in the areas of Personal Injury, Professional and Clinical Negligence. 

In Chambers & Partners 2008 Frank is described as “head and shoulders above the rest,”  and “is everything you could possibly want in a QC.” One of the undisputed leaders in the field, he is endorsed as “a polished performer with a formidable intellect.” He has acted in some of the most high-profile litigation in the field such as the pleural plaques test cases, Grieves v F T Everard and Son and Rothwell v Chemical & Insulating Co.

Frank was appointed as a Recorder in 1999 and was also Chairman of the Law Reform Committee of the Bar Council (2003 - 2005) and the Chairman of PIBA (2004-2006). He is a Bencher of Gray's Inn (2004).

Frank was named 'Personal Injury Silk of the Year 2006'  at the Chambers Bar Awards.

Qualifications

Kent University (BA First Class Hons); London School of Economics (PhD)

Professional Membership

Personal Injury Bar Association

Publications

Co-author: Medical Negligence: Case Law
Co-author: Personal Injury Limitation Law
Contributor: Medical Accident Handbook (Association for Victims of Medical Accidents)
Contributor: PIBA Manual on Personal Injury
Contributor: Butterworths Professional Negligence Service

Interesting Cases

Grieves v FT Everard & Sons Ltd  [2005] PIQR 25, Rothwell v Chemical & Insulating Co. Ltd [2006] 1 All ER 187 - Pleural plaques test litigation - pending in the House of Lords
Clough v First Choice Holidays and Flights [2006] EWCA Civ 15 - Causation: Material contribution to damage test in slipping accident
Bassie v Merseyside & Civil Defence Authority [2005] EWCA Civ 1474 - Construction of 1992 Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 5(1) and 12(3)
Cooke v United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust and others (2004) PIQR Q10. Assessment of damages for the cost of future care - what allowance to be made for cost rising more steeply than RPI
Phillips v Syndicate 992 Gunner and others unreported, 09/05/2003 - Extent of insurers' liability to pay damages awarded to Claimant against employer in mesothelioma case
Young v Western Power Distribution Plc [2003] EWCA Civ 1034 - Application of the Walkley principle
Farmer v Roll-Royce Ltd unreported, 26/02/2003, lawtel document no. AC0105047 - Largest award in a fatal accident case
White v ESAB Group (UK) Ltd [2002] PIQR Q6 - Multipliers
Cape Distribution Ltd v O’Loughlin [2001] EWCA Civ 178 - Calculation of damages in fatal accident cases
Worrall v Powergen Plc [1999] PIQR P103 - The use of the Ogden Tables in fatal accident cases
R v CICB ex p K [1999] 2 WLR 948 - Interpretation of s.4 Fatal Accidents Act 1976
Lattimer v Cumbria CC [1994] PIQR P395 (CA) - Introduction of fresh evidence on appeal
Hockaday v South West Durham Health Authority (1994) PIQR 275 - What defendants have to plead in defence
Morley v United Friendly [1993] 1 WLR 996 - Construction of an exclusion clause in a contract of insurance
Wilson v Best Travel [1993] 1 All ER 353 - Standard of care of travel companies in respect of the structure of buildings abroad