Courts / Dublin / Report
High Court President orders shutdown of "claims harvesting" website
Summary
In a High Court order issued on 30 November 2017, Mr Justice Peter Kelly directed the shutdown of the website www.personalinjurysolicitorsdublin.info, which was involved in a practice known as 'Claims Harvesting'. The judge found that the site presented itself as a solicitor‑run service, misleading visitors into believing they were dealing with qualified solicitors. The orders were made against businessman Mr David Smyth and his company Agenda Computers, both based in Waterford, after the Law Society of Ireland alleged that the website breached advertising provisions of the Solicitors Acts by soliciting and encouraging personal injury claims. The Society claimed Mr Smyth was pretending to be a solicitor and that no such firm existed. Mr Smyth and Agenda opposed some orders, including the removal of the site, but consented to others. He testified that he had sold the website to a solicitor for €6,000 a few days before the hearing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: High Court President orders shutdown of "claims harvesting" website. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 2017-11-30 Publication
Why: He noted the website contained many statements including "You should choose well trained and fully experienced associate solicitors of Personal Injury Solicitors Dublin because simply we get you what you deserve," or "No Win No Fee talk to us without obligation" and "Let our associate Personal Injuries Solicitors help you keep 100% of your compensation. CNI source report
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