extremely

client-

focused,

dynamic

and

professional"

Legal 500

Michael Rapp

Michael Rapp

Profile

Michael Rapp has a successful and varied common law practice covering personal injury, credit hire and fraud as well as health and safety related matters, coroner's law, disputes involving utility companies and costs.

Michael is happy to undertake work on a conditional fee basis and regularly helps to obtain substantial awards for clients. Claimant instruction includes both public liability and employer's liability claims. He is well versed in '6 pack claims' and more complex claims such as WRULDs and industrial disease.  He acts equally for Defendants and their insurers in such claims and is regularly instructed to defend accident at work and construction site claims particularly those involving third party indemnities and sub-contractual liabilities.

His personal injury practice often involves claims with complex medical causation arguments in particular cases involving potential non organic pain such as complex regional pain syndrome, chronic pain, post traumatic fibromyalgia and somataform disorders.

Michael also regularly undertakes road traffic work. He is recommended by the Legal 500 in respect of his credit hire practice and receives substantial instruction in respect of the ever evolving areas of fraud and low velocity impact. He has successfully defended fraud claims through to personal cost sanctions against individuals or alternatively wasted costs orders/notices to show cause against firms of solicitors who have failed to act appropriately in respect of such claims. Equally he has sought indemnity costs for Claimant clients where such allegations have proved groundless.

He regularly provides training and seminars for solicitors and insurers, recent such seminars have included Fraud, Chronic Pain and Credit Hire.

Notable Cases

Credit Hire

  •  Whitworth Ltd v Crenoon Ltd (2006) LTL 11/8/2006 (Northampton County Court HHJ Mayor QC):  where the examination of the long lease of the vehicle involved in the accident resulted in the Claimant failing to prove a prima facie need for a replacement hire vehicle. There was also useful obiter dicta in relation to the availability of pool cars, and the need and quality of so called 'prestige' vehicles.
  • McClaren v Hastings Direct LawtelCase Law - AC0122216 (2009Oxford County Court HHJ Harris QC): Defendant case in which the pre-eminent credit hire charge HHJ Harris QC expressly outlined that reduction in hire charges did not solely relate to the question of mitigation as contended by the Claimant (on numerous occasions) and in the absence of impecuniosity there was an obligation on the court to reduce hire charges to spot rates. Useful obiter given in relation to duties of disclosure by credit hire companies.

Scholarships and Awards

  • 2002 Inner Temple Neville Laski Scholarship 
  • 2001 Inner Temple Peta Fordham Scholarship

Memberships

PIBA