Data Breach Claims.

HELPING YOU TO CLAIM COMPENSATION FOR DATA BREACH VIOLATIONS

In today’s digital world, your personal data is a valuable commodity. However, all too often negligent business processes, human error and cybercrime mean this sensitive data isn’t as protected as it should be.  According to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), data breaches are on in the rise, with a 3% increase on Q4 2016/17 and a 28% increase on Q1 of the previous year. So, it’s no wonder that consumer confidence is lacking^[1].

If you have suffered damage or distress caused by an organisation breaching any part of the Data Protection Act, you have a right to claim compensation. At Hayes Connor Solicitors, we’ve been helping people to do just that for over 50 years, so we know what it takes to make a successful data breach compensation claim.

DATA BREACH CASES

We can help you make claims against a wide range of private organisations and businesses already fined by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), including:

• United Utilities
• Talk Talk
• Vanquis Bank Limited
• EE
• Equifax.

We can also keep you updated on upcoming and current ICO data breach claim investigations against the like of Uber. Helping individuals claim compensation for damages and/ or distress caused by violations of the Data Protection Act, we can also help with claims against:

• Health & Medical organisations
• Central and Local Government
• Police & Criminal Justice Bodies
• Charities.

MAKING A DATA BREACH CLAIM

If your data has been breached in a way that has caused you damage or distress, we can seek compensation on your behalf. Likewise, if you suspect your data has been mishandled or lost, we can check whether this is the case, and if so, start the claims process.

To start, we’ll contact the organisation in question, and use any information provided by the ICO, to check if you have had your data breached (if the company has not admitted as much already). Once we have established that your data has been breached – and the extent of this failing – we’ll start the claims procedure on your behalf. We’ll only do this with your explicit agreement.

Details of any breaches are published on the ICO website. We can also keep you updated on upcoming and current ICO data breach claim investigations.

Find out more about making a data breach compensation claim, or contact us today for a free initial assessment.

^[1] As of October 2017

EXPERT DATA BREACH CLAIM SOLICITORS

Our expert, friendly team will advise you on whether you have a valid claim and will be pleased to answer any questions you might have. If you are not sure whether your information has been misused or mishandled, we can find this out for you.

If we believe you have a substantial, complex case, we’ll go through your options with you and may be able to act for you on a NO WIN, NO FEE basis. For smaller claims, our quick assessment form will help you to start your claim, quickly and easily. So you can be sure of receiving your compensation in the shortest possible time.

We can help you to claim compensation for data protection breaches, data leaks, human rights breaches, and the misuse of personal information.

At Hayes Connor Solicitors, we understand that making a compensation claim can be stressful; especially where your sensitive information has already been breached. That’s why we remove the jargon from the process and make sure you always know what’s happening with your case. Of course, it goes without saying that our process is fully compliant with ICO guidance and we never put your details at risk.

Read some of the lovely things our clients have said about us.

TYPES OF DATA BREACH CLAIMS

A data breach can occur in any industry, business, school, organisation, or government department (e.g. the police, the NHS and the social services). Most often, breaches happen in service based industries where there is direct contact with the public. Over the last few years, mobile phone networks, tech firms, retailers, and banks have all hit the headlines due to data security breaches.

Types of data protection compensation claims include:

• Where your data has been inadvertently lost, hacked or leaked
• Where your identity has been stolen to obtain credit cards fraudulently
• Where an organisation broke the law and used your information for journalism, artistic or literary purposes without your permission
• Where your personal data has been sent to a third party without your express permission
• Where your personal information has been misused or mishandled
• Where your privacy has been compromised as part of a whistle-blowing operation
• Where an organisation failed to maintain up-to-date, accurate information about you and this caused you damage
• Corporate data breach claims where businesses have had their company data leaked (e.g. banking information, business plans, etc.).

DAMAGE AND DISTRESS

To claim compensation, you must be able to prove that you suffered as a result of the breach. This includes financial and medical harm, as well as anguish and anxiety. In many cases, a violation will not cause damage but will cause distress.

Until recently, a person who suffered damage might have had their compensation increased to take into account any associated distress, but in most cases compensation would not have been awarded for distress alone. However, a recent ruling has paved the way for those affected by data breaches to claim damages for distress, even if they have not suffered any financial loss.

If an organisation broke the law and used your information for journalism, artistic, or literary purposes, you are entitled to claim solely for distress.

WHAT IS THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE?

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is an independent authority, set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, and to promote openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. While the ICO does not award compensation, it does have the power to impose hefty fines on organisations in breach of their duties.

You have the right to ask the ICO to assess if an organisation breached the Data Protection Act.

If the ICO believes that the organisation in question broke the law, you can use this information in court to help prove your claim. However, the judge may not agree with the ICO’s view. While you can make a compensation claim against a company without first going to the ICO, we would always recommend this as a first step.

You may not know that your data has been breached until you hear that a company has been fined by the ICO. In such cases, it’s worth finding out whether your data was put at risk, because, if so, you may have a claim for compensation.

If you have already contacted the ICO about a potential breach, Hayes Connor Solicitors can still investigate your claim. We will work with the ICO to gather as much evidence as possible to help our clients succeed.

CONTACT US AND START YOUR DATA BREACH CLAIM TODAY

At Hayes Connor Solicitors we make sure you receive the maximum compensation possible in the shortest possible time. However, with strict time limits in place for making data breach claims (currently all breaches going back six years could be subject to a claim) it’s important to act now.