Arun Katyar

Arun Katyar specialises solely in personal injury work, acting for both Claimants and Defendants in high value claims. He is experienced in the full range of County and High Court trials, including claims involving fatality, serious spinal and brain injuries, and other catastrophic injury.

He also regularly conducts negotiations at both round table meetings and mediations, in claims worth c. £500,000 to £5 million.

At trial, Arun is renowned for quickly getting to grips with complicated medico-legal issues, and is particularly adept at cross examining medical experts.

He has a special interest in cases involving orthopaedic and psychiatric injury, and extensive experience of litigating difficult pain syndrome cases.

Arun regularly acts in cases involving multi-million pound claims for Complex Regional Pain and Chronic Pain Syndrome and associated disorders, including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, Functional Neurological Disorders as well as conditions of psychological genus, involving somatisation, Somatic Symptom Disorders, etc. He has lectured insurers and solicitors on chronic pain litigation and strategy.

He is often instructed in cases where there are elements of fraud, malingering and exaggeration.

Arun Katyar has developed a niche practice over the last decade dealing with claims involving intricate motor fraud rings, often with suspected connections to organised crime. He is instructed by all the main Defendant firms who undertake work in this area.

He has advised from the earliest stages of such claims, including strategic advice as the rings have evolved, right through to the conclusion of the litigation.

He is commended by clients for his forensic skills and attention to detail, robust trial advocacy as well as the clarity of his drafting in document heavy cases.

His experience extends to the full array of such claims involving staged, contrived and induced accidents, as well as bogus passenger claims and low velocity impact (delta V) arguments. His trial record is impeccable.

Arun also deals with more ‘mainstream’ fraud issues, and is well versed in running claims where malingering and exaggeration is suspected.

Arun has, through reputation, become a popular choice with many local authorities within London and the south east, dealing with all aspects of employer’s liability, road traffic, public liability and highways claims.

In recent years he successfully defended a local authority in the High Court against a personal injury claim brought by a teacher involving interesting arguments on breach of duty; Alexis v. Newham London Borough Council [2009] ICR 1517; [2009] WLR (D) 186; [2009] EWHC 1323 (QB).

Arun has some experience of dealing with inquests, and in particular those involving railway level crossings.

Arun has recently advised on a cluster of such claims involving abuse by teachers against vulnerable pupils with learning difficulties.

LLB (Hons)

Arun has an excellent manner with clients and is an expert tactician. He is brilliant on his feet.- Legal 500, 2024

He is very able and commercially astute, and pays fine attention to detail. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

He is a very good negotiator, very shrewd. He is good on his feet. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

Arun is extremely thorough, very forensic and excellent at getting to the heart of the matter. –  Chambers & Partners, 2024

He is very meticulous in his preparation and very, very good with clients. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

He is a solid and careful opinion, he works very hard, is very good with clients and very calm under pressure. – Legal 500, 2023

His work is excellent and his attention to detail is brilliant. – Chambers and Partners, 2022

Arun is extremely capable and utterly forensic. He is a ferocious advocate, as well as being tactically astute. – Legal 500, 2022

He is very hard-working and an excellent advocate. – Chambers and Partners, 2021

A strong, formidable advocate who is good with clients, and always well prepared. – Legal 500, 2021

Arun’s drafting skills are impressive and he is very personable. – Chambers and Partners, 2020

He is a solid, careful and attentive barrister. – Chambers & Partners 2019

Has an impressive and encyclopaedic knowledge of personal injury law, procedure and tactics […] Very good with clients and very reassuring. He prepares very thoroughly for cases and cuts to the chase. – Chambers & Partners 2018

Very safe pair of hands with immense experience in all types of personal injury.- Legal 500, 2018

He has superb knowledge of personal injury matters. – Legal 500, 2017

He has the courage of his convictions. – Legal 500, 2016 (ranked as a leading junior)

“It’s Just Not Cricket”; Ent. L.R. 1998, 9(5), 196-199

Legal remedies available to holiday makers following the abandonment / cancellation of a test match between England and the West Indies at Sabina Park – Package Travel Regulations – Contract.

Mohamed Kamara v. Builder Depot Limited [2020] EWHC 3046 (QB)

Relief from sanction – Fundamental Dishonesty – Appeals.

Alexis v. Newham London Borough Council (instructed by the Defendant)

[2009] ICR 1517; [2009] WLR (D) 186; [2009] EWHC 1323 (QB)

Acted for a local education authority, sued by a teacher who claimed c. £700,000 in damages following a psychiatric injury after a poisoning incident at a school, that allegedly ended her teaching career. A pupil permitted unsupervised access to classroom, having been entrusted with keys by another staff member, used the opportunity to add whiteboard cleaning fluid to the Claimant’s water bottle. Issues arose in relation to foreseeability, and in particular the extent of the common law duty of care owed to teachers by the local authority. The case was successfully defended, it being held the local authority was not in breach of duty. It was absurd to suggest teachers should not have the discretion to ask pupils to pop along a corridor to get something from another classroom, and the staff member was not negligent in circumstances where she handed over keys to a pupil whose reliability there was no reason to doubt.