Rachit Buch
Rachit specialises in personal injury, industrial disease, international and travel law and clinical negligence work. He has an interest in employment law claims, particularly in cases involving psychiatric harm.
His industrial disease practice focuses on mesothelioma claims and other asbestos-related diseases.
Rachit has experience in cases involving a public law aspect, recently being instructed in the Undercover Policing Inquiry, as well as an established inquest practice.
He acts for claimants and defendants/respondents.
Having studied Human Genetics before studying for the Bar, Rachit applies his knowledge of scientific and medical issues to the law.
Personal Injury
Rachit specialises in fatal accident claims, cases involving serious multiple injuries and psychiatric harm. He has expertise in employers’ and public liability cases.
He has been instructed in numerous cases involving allegations of psychiatric harm and former undercover police officers, including Mark Kennedy v Commissioner and Wilson v Commissioner.
Rachit has considerable experience of complex issues of medical evidence, cross examining expert witnesses at trial as well as costs budgeting and advising on procedural issues.
He has written numerous articles for the Personal Injury Law Journal and delivered talks and seminars for particular firms as well as at chambers events.
Download sectionIndustrial Disease
Rachit’s industrial disease practice focuses on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease. He is regularly instructed to advise or appear in court in claims involving low exposure, multiple defendants and issues of causation and quantum. He acts on a CFA basis and considers pro bono work where possible.
Rachit was junior to Harry Steinberg in Haxton v Phillips Electronics at first instance.
Rachit also accepts instructions in claims involving exposure at work to harmful substances and noise induced hearing loss.
Download sectionEmployment & Discrimination
Rachit regularly appears in multi-day Employment Tribunal hearings for claimant and respondent.
He specialises in claims involving protected disclosures, disability, race and sexual orientation discrimination and associative discrimination.
He has successfully conducted numerous costs applications and judicial mediation.
He has particular experience of cases involving police officers and staff, acting in multi-day tribunal hearings involving alleged discrimination, whistleblowing, and advising on potentially sensitive matters using the national security tribunals procedure.
He regularly advises companies and individuals on claims involving team moves and injunctive relief.
He is valued by solicitors for providing detailed and practical advice on merits, quantum, costs and appeal.
Download sectionClinical Negligence
Rachit specialises in advice and court work in clinical negligence. He has particular expertise in:
- Delayed diagnosis in oncology
- Claims involving Obs/Gynae
- A & E/trauma medicine
- Negligence in general practice and
- Cosmetic surgery negligence
Having studied Human Genetics at university, Rachit is keen to use his knowledge of scientific and medical issues in his clinical negligence practice and has a particular interest in cases involving clinical geneticists and diagnostic specialisms.
Download sectionInternational & Travel
Rachit is instructed in cross-jurisdictional personal injury claims and aims to provide practical advice and advocacy when considering international aspects of personal injury and other claims.
Rachit acted in a pre-trial review hearing in the Mau Mau litigation for intervening charity the Redress Trust and is developing his practice in cross-border claims.
Download sectionPublic Authority Liability
Rachit has particular experience advising on and acting in cases involving local councils and police forces.
He has considerable experience of stress at work claims, having acted in a series of claims arising out of stress at work for police officers, and in occupiers’ or employers’ liability claims for councils.
Download sectionPublic Inquiries
Rachit is experience in inquest work and specialises in inquests involving medical care and police inquests. He acts on a CFA and pro bono basis where appropriate.
Rachit has been instructed to act for the Metropolitan Police in the Undercover Policing Inquiry from July 2015 and has a particular interest in the public law aspects of inquiry and inquest work.
Download sectionCases
Undercover Policing Inquiry
Wilson v Commissioner (claim arising out of harm caused by relationship with former undercover police officer)
Haxton v Philips Electronics Ltd (in the High Court; claim for reduction in value of dependency claim when both husband and wife contracted mesothelioma)
Wright v Secretary of State for Home Department (claim alleging breach of human rights from unlawful prison sentence)
Kennedy v Commissioner (claim made for psychiatric harm arising out of service by a former undercover police officer)
Download sectionMemberships
Rachit holds memberships to PIBA and ELBA.
Qualifications & Awards
LLB comprising of BVC and GDL from 2008 – 2010 at College of Law (2:1 average).
MA (Hons) Politics, Philosophy, Economics of Health from University College London in 2010 – 2011 (Merit).
BSc. Human Genetics from University College London 2005 – 2008 (First Class).
Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn).
Hardwicke Entrance Award (Lincoln’s Inn).
Publications
Contributor Asbestos: Law & Litigation, Sweet & Maxwell, 2019 (Chapters; Common Law, Statutory duties)
Download section