Sam is currently undertaking pupillage under the supervision of Henry Vanderpump, specialising in personal injury while also developing an interest in clinical negligence claims. Sam has worked on cases throughout pupillage ranging from small claims valued at less than £500 up to multi-track cases valued at c.£30m.
Sam’s pupillage has included the following areas of work:
- RTAs (including hearings under the RTA and OIC protocols as well as small claims and fast track trials comprising a mix of PI, diminution in value and credit hire components).
- Employer/Public Liability small claims including those brought under the Health and Safety Act 1974, Highways Act 1980 and Occupiers’ Liability Acts 1957/1984.
- Claims brought under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, including on behalf of parents for deceased children.
- Traumatic birth injuries (to both the child and the mother).
- Late diagnoses (including cancer, sepsis and cystic fibrosis).
- Dental negligence (in respect of medical and cosmetic dentistry).
- Negligent/Mis-sold surgery performed by the NHS and private healthcare providers, including cosmetic surgery.
Personal injury
Throughout his first six, Sam has been exposed to the full spectrum of PI work ranging from OIC hearings on quantum and MOJ Stage 3 hearings through to interlocutory hearings and JSMs on catastrophic injury claims valued between £3-5 million.
Attending small claims and fast track trials has allowed Sam to gain an understanding of PI work from both a Claimant and Defendant perspective, as well as seeing the nuances of the various fixed costs regimes.
He has also gained experience in fatal accident claims, including fatal claims involving children where conventional dependency arguments around future losses must be modified.
Cases
Z v C: Attended WFM and conducted research on apportionment in respect of catastrophic injury arising from RTA between pedestrian Claimant and motorcyclist Defendant. Claimant had been left disabled and was provided with care under the rehab code.
E v MIB: Attended hearings and conducted research on TBI case in which the High Court explored whether capacity ought to be treated as a preliminary issue in light of FD allegations. C had suffered a diffuse axonal brain injury, but capacity to litigate remained contested.
M v A: Conducted extensive research and review of medical records totalling over 5,000 pages in respect of a catastrophic injury/TBI case arising from an RTA valued at £3-5m and for which C had undergone more than a dozen surgeries.
Clinical negligence
Throughout his pupillage Sam has drafted many opinions on liability/quantum, particulars of claim, schedules of loss and agendas for conferences with medical experts across a broad range of disciplines for clinical negligence claims.
The cases Sam has worked on include pressure sores, delayed diagnoses (of cancer, sepsis, avascular necrosis, Acanthamoeba keratitis and cystic fibrosis amongst others), and negligent/mis-sold cosmetic surgery.
He has also drafted advice and undertaken research on several cases involving traumatic birth injuries, including a claim valued at over £25m.
Consequently, Sam is confident in analysing the interplay between different causative factors in complex medical presentations, and distilling his conclusions into clear, precise pleadings and advice.
Sam has also gained exposure to dental negligence work and has attended both court and conferences for such claims, including shadowing counsel on a multi-day trial where several experts were cross-examined.
Cases
N v NHS (2026): Summarised expert reports and medical evidence in advance of a conference in a traumatic birth injury case. C suffered severe acute hypoxic-ischaemic insult prior to and during delivery, resulting in significant neurological injury and lifelong disability necessitating extensive care and assistance. Claim valued at c.£30m.
V v M (2025): Shadowed counsel at a multi-day trial concerning allegations of misdiagnosis necessitating tooth extraction resulting from endodontic infection of LR7 (permanent mandibular second molar).
S v MCH (2025): Drafted opinion and particulars of claim in a case where a care home resident had suffered from chronic pressure sores. This involved an in-depth analysis of the Defendant’s alleged negligence to establish causation due to the Deceased’s pre-existing health conditions, immobility and vulnerability to pressure sores.
C v NHS (2026): Summarised medical evidence and drafted an advice on quantum in advance of a conference with a Claimant who had suffered a psychiatric injury arising from the traumatic birth of her first child.
AB v A (2026): Attended JSM and infant approval for a fatal accident claim in which an NHS Trust’s standard guidelines for treating first episode psychosis (FEP) were not followed, after which the patient took his own life. Settled at JSM for £750,000.
H v NHS (2026): Drafted advice on a fatal accident case involving a misdiagnosis and subsequent discharge from hospital without safety netting of a child who died from a cerebral abscess. This involved careful consideration of how existing case law and principles might apply in respect of a fatal accident claim brought by a parent, since conventional arguments around dependency are oriented around child dependants claiming for the loss of a parent rather than vice versa.
Education
- BA (Hons), History, First Class (Trinity College, Cambridge)
- M.Phil., Classics (Trinity College, Cambridge)
- GDL (The University of Law)
- BPC (The University of Law)
Awards and prizes
- ITSA Essay Competition, 2nd Place (Inner Temple, 2024)
- COMBAR Mentee (Commercial Bar Association, 2024)
- Marion Simmons QC Memorial Prize, 2nd Place (ARDL, 2024)
- ITSA Essay Competition, Runner Up (Inner Temple, 2023)
- Littleton Chambers Sports Law Essay Competition Finalist (Littleton Chambers, 2023)
- Vice Chancellor Award for Exceptional Advocacy Performance (The University of Law, 2022)
- Major Scholarship (Inner Temple, 2022)
- Duke of Edinburgh Scholarship (Inner Temple, 2022)
Memberships
- Inner Temple
- Northern Circuit
