John Foy KC

Call: 1969 Silk: 1998

"An iron fist in a silk glove, John provides no-nonsense advice."

Chambers & Partners 2024

John Foy KC has vast experience in all aspects of personal injury and clinical negligence.

He does high-value road traffic accident, employers’, public and occupiers’ liability cases, with particular experience in carbon monoxide poisoning and industrial disease, which he has conducted since the 1970s and mental health as a former chair of the Mental Health Tribunal. Frequently they require a periodical payments order and he frequently represents high earning professional people.  He is instructed by most of the leading personal injury and clinical negligence claimant firms from all over the country. John acted for the coal miners in their ground breaking group litigation on respiratory disease which led directly to the setting up of the miners’ compensation scheme. Over the years he has been in many leading cases.

His clinical negligence practice covers all aspects of the subject including birth trauma, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, toxic shock et cetera.

He has a particular knowledge of and expertise in costs, especially in a personal injury or clinical negligence context.  He chaired the committee which drafted the initial solicitor/counsel conditional fee agreement, was responsible for numerous subsequent versions, and for many years was chair of the Bar Council CFA committee.


Expertise

Most of his cases concern traumatic brain injury, often involving children, quadriplegia and paraplegia, multiple injuries and amputations.  He frequently represents a high earning professional people.  These cases often involve periodical payments orders.

Notable Personal Injury cases


Beall v Euro Construction Scaffolding Ltd

Industrial exposure to asbestos in the 1980s resulting in death.

Lynch v JHH Engineers Ltd et al

Fell off his own ladder but established liability subject to contributory negligence.

CB v British Cycling Federation

Brain damage caused by crashing during a cyclocross race.

Beveridge v Homan/Evans Transport Ltd

Brain damage caused by falling from a lorry during loading.

ESC v CCM

Carbon monoxide poisoning of a child at home in tenanted accommodation.

Beveridge v Homan/Evans Transport Ltd

Fell off a lorry during loading

Jones v Gavin Jones Ltd

When one of a tree cutting team, struck by a heavy branch when in the drop zone suffering head injury.

Seales v PIL Membranes Ltd

Struck by a metal bar at work causing a left carotid artery dissection resulting in a stroke.

His clinical negligence practice covers all aspects of the subject including birth trauma, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, toxic shock et cetera.

Notable Clinical Negligence & Healthcare cases


AB v Dr Handa

Failure to diagnose diabetes resuting in leg amputation of a child.

Stephens v Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust

Surgical error in a craniotomy following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage which resulted in a ruptured aneurysm.

HXC v Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The claimant was a known suicide risk but the Defendants failed to take reasonable steps to prevent a suicide attempt resulting in the claimant suffering tetraplegia.

Recent News


Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. To see my privacy notice click here.

  • Dartford Grammar School
  • Birmingham University LLB (Hons)

  • Personal Injury Bar Association
  • Professional Negligence Bar Association
  • South Eastern Circuit

  • Assistant Recorder 1997-2000
  • Recorder 2000 – 2016
  • Chair of Mental Health Tribunal 2003- 2016
  • Chair of the Bar Tribunal and Advisory Service 2020 to date
  • Bencher of Grays Inn 2004 to date

2

  • 2019- Beall v Euro Construction Scaffolding Ltd – industrial exposure to asbestos in the 1980s resulting in death.
  • 2017- Merrix v Heart of England NHS Trust – costs budgeting and subsequent assessment.
  • 2020- CB v British Cycling Federation – brain damage caused by crashing during a cyclocross race.
  • 2020- Beveridge v Homan/Evans Transport Ltd – brain damage caused by falling from a lorry during loading.
  • 2021- ESC v CCM  – carbon monoxide poisoning of a child at home in tenanted accommodation.
  • 2019- AB v Dr Handa – failure to diagnose diabetes resulting in leg amputation in a child.

"John is always calm and measured, he commands respect which inevitably results in a good outcome, and clients love his kind and caring approach."

Legal 500 2024

"He is able to cut through the background noise and get to the crux of a complex matter quickly."

Chambers & Partners 2023

"John is so experienced and astute and always very responsive and approachable."

Chambers & Partners 2023

"John’s strengths are his experience, technical analysis of the evidence, clear and concise advice, sense of humour and advocacy"

Legal 500 2023

"fiercely intelligent, incredibly practical"

"a brilliant barrister"

"deep legal knowledge"

"expert client management"

"a privilege and an education to work with"

"A brilliant barrister who is excellent on his feet."

Chambers & Partners 2020

"Widely commended for his expert client management. His esteemed practice focuses on brain and spinal injuries, industrial disease and fatal accidents which often involve tricky causation issues."

Chambers & Partners 2020

"He is an excellent counsel and has deep legal knowledge."

Legal 500 - 2020

"He has an ability to think outside the initial issues."

Legal 500-2020

"Fiercely intelligent, incredibly practical and extremely experienced. He has the gift of being able to explain complex concepts clearly and in plain English. He is unflappable and also very down to earth. All of these attributes combine to make him a privilege and an education to work with."

Legal 500-2019

"He is clearly a heavy weight in the personal injury arena."

Chambers & Partners 2019

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