Can I claim link-up

Personal Injury: site's hotline to George Ide, Phillips

Personal injury Web site www.

canIclaim.com has entered into an exclusive link-up with Chichester-based law firm George Ide, Phillips, cutting out the other 15 firms on its panel from referrals.

The arrangement means that for the next five years, ten-partner George Ide will handle all claims received by the Web site.

Currently, claims are taken on by a nationwide panel of 16 firms once the site has weeded out the time-wasting inquiries.

Of the 1,000 enquiries received last year, 500 were passed on to firms.

The other firms were: Cheshire-based Alexander Harris, Reading and Oxford firm Barrett & Co, The Clarke Partnership in Stockport, Darbys of Oxford, west Lancashire firm Dickinson Parker Hill, Scottish practice Digby Brown, Canterbury-based Dominic Goward & Co, Dyer Burdett of Portsmouth, south Wales firm Gabb & Co, Chelmsford-based Gadsby Wickes, Herefordshire's Janette Hill & Co, JST Mackintosh in Liverpool, north-east firm Lauristons, Gloucester firm Ross Aldridge, and Sydney Mitchell of Birmingham.

The site is run by personal injury solicitor Martin Davies and is a sister site to www.LawontheWeb.com.

'This deal means that we have long-term financial stability which allows us to look at expanding and developing the site further,' he said.

'It also reduces our administration process as we now deal with just one firm rather than 16.'

Mr Davies said George Ide approached him with the proposal.

He said other panel firms expressed an interest in taking the site on if the talks failed.

'The one potential problem with the new arrangement would be whether one firm based in Chichester will be able to cope with all the claims we receive from around the country,' Mr Davies said.

'However, the fact that people are using the Internet to access our site in the first place means that they are reasonably technologically proficient and will be able to deal with their cases on-line.'

Victoria MacCallum