Court puts accident line rival on hold

A Law firm has been forced to suspend its new accident line service after being accused of deliberately trying to poach Law Society clients.

The Sunderland-based practice was operating a freephone service with "a confusingly similar" number to the recently-launched Accident Line.

But court action brought by the society last week forced the firm to back down after the judge threatened an injunction.

Partners Ivor Griffiths and David Thomas have given undertakings not to use their freephone number for their own business until the result of a full hearing.

The society's scheme, launched at the end of June, uses the Mercury number 0500 192939.

Griffiths and Thomas, who denied trying to "pass off" their accident helpline, changed their number to 0800 192939, the court heard.