Woman’s driving licence shared without her permission by a local council.
The public sector is privy to a wide range of our sensitive information and this data is regularly shared between organisations as part of modern governance and the delivery of public services. But, all too often this data is put at risk by government organisations.
What happened in this case?
The secretary of a committee informed Mrs Timlin* that the local council had emailed them a copy of her driving license.
Concerned that her data had been breached, Mrs Timlin searched online for a data breach solicitor and then emailed Hayes Connor to find out if we thought the case was worth taking on.
How did we help?
We agreed that Mrs Timlin's data had been breached and took her case on a no-win, no-fee basis. We sent Mrs Timlin a detailed questionnaire which she filled out and returned along with some supporting documents so we could prepare her case.
Next, we instructed our appointed barrister to provide expert advice on Mrs Timlin's prospects of success and the amount of compensation she was entitled to for the data breach.
Then we sent a letter before action (LBA) to the council. The LBA let the local authority know that we would be starting proceedings against it and we were very serious about getting Mrs Timlin the compensation she deserved for the distress caused by the violation.
The council responded, attempting to justify why it felt her claim was not valid. However, we replied setting out why it was, and we requested that they supply a number of documents as evidence. We also sent a 'Part 36' offer to the authority. This is designed to encourage parties to settle disputes without going to trial. This offer was accepted.
Commenting on her experience, Mrs Timlin said: "Highly professional and very informative, every step of the way. Also been very helpful! After this experience I can't think of anything at all that could improve your service. Everything was explained to myself in a straightforward way, and I certainly would recommend Hayes Connor, without a doubt! Absolutely fantastic!"
Local government data breaches
Despite the threat of crime, all too often it's human error that is often to blame for data breaches. 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 central or local government data breach compensation claim.
Find out more about making a NO WIN NO FEE compensation claim, or contact us today for a free initial assessment.
*Name has been changed.