Menu
Close
Search
Generic filters

David Rivers

Call: 2002

"David is very strong on his feet and has good tactical awareness."

Chambers & Partners 2024

"David is very bright with great attention to detail."

The Legal 500 2024

"David's strengths are his skills in delivering first-class client care and ensuring that the clients are in the safest of hands." "David is formidable on his feet and has good tactical awareness."

Chambers & Partners 2023

"David is a bold and fearless advocate."

The Legal 500 2023

Overview

David is a specialist in personal injury work mainly on behalf of claimants. He has a particular focus on complex quantum work. He is the author of the chapters on Contributory NegligenceEmployer’s Liability Insurance, The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Reporting and Enforcement in the Seventeenth edition of Munkman on Employers Liability (2019). He has been recommended by both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 since he was eight years call.

Over the last twenty years he has acted for many thousands of claimants. His highest settlement, being led by Paul Rose KC, was a lump sum award of £17.9 million. He has acted for a Deputy High Court judge who is now a Lord Justice of Appeal; a professional footballer; a senior police officer and an actor from EastEnders in his claim for injuries suffered whilst shopping in Selfridges.

He has appeared in a number of high-profile inquests. He appeared for the family in the inquest into the death of Amelia Flight which returned a neglect finding against her local GP’s out of hours service, and a two day inquest into the death of a patient caused by her inappropriate discharge from hospital described by the coroner as the last of an accumulation of failures and omissions by the NHS Trust. He was led by Barry Cotter KC (now Mr Justice Cotter) on behalf of the prison officers in the inquest into the death of Harold Shipman.

Most recently he appeared in Damian Grzegorz Tylus v Froneri Limited (2023) EWHC 1584 (KB) successfully setting aside judgment in a quantum assessment where the recorder (Mr Recorder Jackson) found that the Claimant, who has suffered an amputation injury when his finger became caught in a machine, could not claim the lifelong costs of a cosmetic prosthetic that he was already wearing because  the effect on his was marginal and the six figure claim was excessive given that the Claimant could wear gloves or hide his hand when is company. Richie J gave permission to appeal on all eleven grounds and Mr Justice Sweetings final judgment was emphatic in its rejection both of the main conclusion of the trial judge to disallow the claim and additionally his finding that there should be a set off of the Defendants costs against the Claimant’s damages. The case has been remitted back for a new trial. Since then this case settled at three times the judgement sum.

David successfully appeared for the Claimant in a decision of Mr Justice Foskett in Wright v First Group PLC EWHC 297 (QB) [2018] to allow an adjournment and give permission for the Claimant to change his accident reconstruction expert the day before a High Court trial on liability in a head injury road traffic accident claim. The Claimant’s reconstruction expert had collapsed in his joint statement such that the Defendant withdrew all of its offers and the Claimant was left facing a trial with both experts agreed that there was nothing that the Defendant could have done to avoid the collision. The High Court judge found that the decision was a difficult one but that on balance the trial should be adjourned and a new expert instructed for the Claimant. He ordered the Claimant to pay the Defendants costs of the application but not the trial as they could not demonstrate what loss they had suffered. Permission was given by Sharp LJ on paper for an appeal despite it being a case management decision, with permission to appeal the costs order to be considered once a transcript had been obtained. Jonathan Watt-Pringle KC was instructed for the Defendant. By the date of the Court of Appeal hearing a new expert had been instructed by the Claimant and a new joint statement completed in which all issues were not agreed. The Defendant made a six-figure offer which was accepted by the Claimant.

David succeeded by a majority in the Court of Appeal on behalf of the Defendant in the case of Iqbal v Home Office [2009] EWCA Civ 1310 (led by Michael Beloff KC) which has restated the law on both the tort of false imprisonment and nominal damages.

He graduated from Jesus College Cambridge in 2001. Whilst at Cambridge, he was awarded the ECS Wade Prize for the top first in administrative law, elected to a Squire Scholarship by the university for his exam performance, awarded the Lovells Prize for the top first in the college, and a College Scholarship for obtaining a first. He obtained a masters degree (LLM) from Cambridge in 2003. Grays Inn awarded him its top (Bedingfield) scholarship for the BVC and an award for pupillage as well as a prize for best speech from the floor in a debate on law reform. He was awarded the Joseph Petty Law Student Prize in 1998.

Professional Recommendations

 

“David is very strong on his feet and has good tactical awareness.”

Chambers & Partners 2024

“David is an effective advocate who does a good job for his clients.”

Chambers & Partners 2024

“David is very bright with great attention to detail.”

The Legal 500 2024

“He is fearless.”

Chambers & Partners 2023

“David is an excellent advocate.”

Chambers & Partners 2023

“David is formidable on his feet and has good tactical awareness.”

Chambers & Partners 2023

“David’s strengths are his skills in delivering first-class client care and ensuring that the clients are in the safest of hands.”

Chambers & Partners 2023

“David is a bold and fearless advocate.”

The Legal 500 2023

“He is a bold and tactically shrewd advocate who is willing to stand his ground.” “A strong negotiator, who is excellent at teasing out the finer detail, and not afraid of a fight.”

The Legal 500 2022

“A fearless advocate who is also a good tactician. He knows how to make sure to push for clients and get the best results.” “He is very confident and good with clients, excellent on legal points and loves a fight.” “He makes sure to push for his clients to get the best results.”

Chambers & Partners 2022

“Incredibly bright and very good with clients. He’s a technical barrister, so he’s very good on the rules and is able to advise on tactical steps on the way forward.” “Very good tactically and a strong negotiator.”

Chambers & Partners 2021

“Tactically shrewd and not scared to run cases to trial.” “His advocacy skills are second to none; he is firm yet pragmatic and always has the client at the centre of his advice. Mr Rivers has a very warm approach with clients which engenders trust at an early stage.”

The Legal 500 2021

“He’s cool, calm and collected – a forensic operator.” “He’s well organised, always up to date, and able to provide intelligent insight into difficult cases.” “Very tactically astute.” “Extremely impressive on his feet.”

Chambers & Partners 2020

“He identifies strengths and weaknesses immediately and brings courtroom insight.”

The Legal 500 2020

“He’s really, really impressive on his feet and holds his own against far more senior barristers. he really stands out as an advocate.”

Chambers & Partners 2019

“His technical knowledge of statutes, regulations and case law is excellent. he is willing to fight the most complex of cases and is popular with clients.”

Chambers & Partners 2018

“Excellent grasp of detail, inspires confidence in his clients, not afraid of a fight.”

The Legal 500 2018

Expertise

Personal Injury


Recent and current work

Relevant Work

Key contacts

Olivia Moliterno

Team Leader
Olivia Moliterno Telephone Clerk020 7269 0477 Email Clerk

Manisha Agheda

Junior Team Leader Assistant
Manisha Agheda Telephone Clerk020 7269 0300 Email Clerk
0
Shortlist Updated

Out of hours

William Meade (Senior Clerk)

07970 649 755