DATA BREACH CLAIMS

Not only can it cause upset and anxiety over who has your information and how it may be used, it can also cause considerable inconvenience as you will need to take urgent steps to try and minimise the risk posed by the data breach.

When financial information is stolen then it can also lead to fraud, identity theft and loss of money which can leave you significantly out of pocket.

Our data breach solicitors are highly skilled and experienced in handling data breach claims and take pride in delivering a hassle-free experience whilst delivering the highest of professional standards.

We understand that making a data breach claim can be quite daunting which is why our data breach lawyers will put you at ease and handle your case for you from start to finish to secure you the compensation you deserve.

If you have been a victim of a data breach and would like to know if you’re eligible to make a claim, call us for a free consultation now on 0151 909 6120.

WHAT IS A DATA BREACH?

A data breach occurs when your personal information is accessed by unauthorised people or is released into an uncontrolled environment, such as online.

Data protection breaches can happen in a number of ways, such as:

• Your name and home address appearing on a public website.
• Your bank details (including account number and sort code) being stolen in a cyber-attack and then used for fraud or identity theft.
• Personal information from sensitive websites, such as dating sites, being disclosed.
• A letter containing your medical details being sent to the wrong postal or email address through no fault of your own.
• Your personal details being included in a group email.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 are the main laws that govern how your personal information can be used by organisations, businesses or the government.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A VALID DATA BREACH CLAIM?

Organisations are legally bound to inform you if your data has been breached within a reasonable amount of time.

In other cases, there may be a group litigation claim whereby a large number of customers can be part of a collective claim, for example when a data breach occurs between a set time period.

If you were a customer during this time, then it is quite possible that you have been affected by the data breach.

Even if you haven’t been financially affected by the data breach then you can be entitled to claim compensation and we can make a claim on your behalf for anguish or anxiety caused.

If you have suffered financial harm as a direct result of the breach, the amount of compensation you might be able to claim would likely be far greater.

If you’re unsure if you have been the victim of a data breach, then ask yourself if any of the following has happened to you:

• Data is lost, stolen or hacked
• Data is inaccurately stored or out-of-date
• Data is held longer than required
• Data is used outside of its stated purpose
• Data is made public
• Data is disclosed without your express permission
• Data is maliciously disclosed
• Data is used to obtain credit cards fraudulently

If you’ve been affected by one or more of these things, then it is highly likely you can make a claim. Even if the breach has not led to any specific loss to you, you are still entitled to claim compensation for distress and inconvenience caused by a data breach.

By law you are entitled to take your case to court to:

• enforce your rights under data protection law if you believe they have been breached
• claim compensation for any damage caused by any organisation if they have broken data protection law, including any distress you may have suffered, or
• a combination of the two.

HOW MUCH IS A DATA BREACH CLAIM LIKELY TO BE WORTH?

Each data breach claim will be looked at on its own merits, but in most cases where a claim for distress has been made, the minimum level of damages would usually be in the region of a £1,000.

Much depends on the circumstances of the breach and any impact. Where the data breach has caused significant financial loss or the leak of highly sensitive personal data, then the level of compensation could be significantly higher.

Data breaches have been increasing both in terms of the number of cases and the amount of people affected.

Many big companies have been affected resulting in some very large-scale breaches and compensation pay-outs.

VIRGIN MEDIA: A Virgin Media database containing the personal details of 900,000 people was left unsecured and accessible online for 10 months between April 2019 and the end of February 2020. 900,000 records were compromised, and the typical claim value was £5,000 per claimant.

BRITISH AIRWAYS: In September 2018, a breach of British Airways’ security systems led to around 400,000 customers having their personal data leaked. The typical claim value in this case was £2,000.

EQUIFAX: The American parent company of Equifax Ltd. was a victim of a criminal cyberattack in March 2017. 143 million records were compromised worldwide, over 693,000 of those were in the UK. The typical claim value in this case was up to £16,000.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME TO MAKE A DATA BREACH CLAIM?

We work on a No Win, No Fee basis, so this means that if your claim is not successful, you will not owe us a thing.

Only in the event of a successful compensation claim would you be required to pay us a percentage of your settlement, so there is absolutely no risk involved in making a data breach claim.

Ready to talk? Call us now for a FREE consultation on 0151 909 6120

or   Start Your Claim

WHY USE US

Free Consultation

We offer a free consultation to anyone looking to make a data breach compensation claim

No Risk

The majority of our data claims are offered on No Win, No Fee basis so there is no risk to you

Data Breach Experts

We are a dedicated data breach lawyers and have handled thousands of data breach claims