Tom Spring

Tom is a Partner in our Leeds office. He is a member of our Insurance segment and forms parts of our Casualty, London Markets and Sports teams.

Tom deals with the full array of employer’s/public liability and third-party property damage claims. He deals with personal injury claims of the utmost severity, including in relation to brain injuries, spinal injuries, orthopaedic injuries, psychiatric damage and cases involving complex conditions in relation to causation such as Functional Neurological Disorder and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. He also has significant experience of handling cases involving allegations of exaggeration and fundamental dishonesty.

Tom’s property claims expertise leads him to represent insurers and policyholders in relation to claims following the likes of fire, flood and asbestos contamination. He handles cases in the County Courts, High Court and the TCC, including cases valued at several £m.

Tom is also a specialist in defending claims brought against keepers of animals, in particular in the equestrianism industry. He represents elite sportspeople, horseracing teams, renowned trainers of racehorses, proprietors of livery yards, riding schools, membership organisations or private keepers of horses. Tom also forms part of the team representing one of the defendants in the group action brought by hundreds of professional and amateur rugby players for alleged head injuries during their playing careers.

Tom is routinely instructed at both pre-litigation and litigation stages, to advise on liability, quantum, rehabilitation or other tactics and is appreciated by his clients for his sympathy with their reserving and overall claims handling philosophies, ensuring every claim is brought to the most appropriate conclusion at the earliest possible stage. Naturally Tom is au fait with claims made under the Animals Act 1971, and he represented the successful defendant in Dennis vs. Voute Sales [2022] WLUK 360; an important decision in relation to the correct interpretation of s.2(2) of the Act and a case which has been referred to in several significant judgments since.