Data breach claims
You could be entitled to make a data breach claim if you have been the victim of a data breach. A data breach can be very distressing, causing emotional and financial damage to those affected. Making a data breach claim can help you to get the compensation that can support you in moving past the incident and recovering any potential losses suffered as a result of the data breach.
HNK Solicitors are experts in helping people to make data breach claims. Our data breach specialist solicitors have years of experience successfully helping clients secure compensation after suffering a data breach. We hold public bodies and private companies to account and obtain compensation for victims of data breaches.
How do I claim?
Step 1
Get in touch using our contact forms or any details provided throughout the site.
Step 2
We will arrange a free consultation with you to discuss your claim.
Step 3
If you have a valid claim, we will accept your case on a No Win No Fee basis.
Step 4
HNK Solicitors Secure a Client Over £13,000 in a Case Against The Metropolitan Police for Unlawfully Retaining a Client’s Data
Am I eligible to make a data breach claim?
Under The Data Protection Act 2018, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Human Rights Act 1998, you have the right to have your private and personal information kept private. This means, by law, any public body or private company that collects sensitive data from people have to keep it safe and store the data responsibly. They can be prosecuted and fined if they do not do so.
If you’ve had your personal and private information breached by a company or organisation, you could be eligible to make a data breach claim. Data breaches can lead to many problems for an individual, including identity fraud, financial losses, or reputational damage. Any personal data that a company holds about you can be breached. This includes your name, contact information, address, national insurance number, date of birth, personal health information, medical records, financial information, employment records, criminal records, and more.
The GDPR regulations allow you to file a data breach claim if you suspect your data has been compromised and if a company has caused harm or distress by violating the UK data protection act in any way.
What is a data breach?
In accordance with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, companies who control your data have a duty to you to secure and retain data lawfully with regard to risk. A breach of data protection can occur when an organisation:
- Fails to protect your data from unlawful access/disclosure
- Fails to take security measures to protect your data from the risk of hackers or thieves
- Fails to process your data fairly or accurately
- Uses data outside its stated purpose
- Fails to keep your data up to date or relevant
- Stores inaccurate or out-of-date information
- Makes confidential data public
If you find any of the above has been committed against you and your data, you could be entitled to make a data breach claim. A data breach claim can be filed against a company, or a group of defendants. The law states you can claim compensation for both financial damages and non-material damages such as emotional distress.
What can I make a data breach claim for?
You can be entitled to claim compensation for:
- Misuse of private information
- Loss of control of data
- Breach of confidence
- Financial Loss
- Damage
- Distress
- Human rights breaches
The amount you can claim depends on your particular case, but you could be owed thousands if your data has been breached. HNK Solicitors can assess your case individually and advise you on what compensation you could be entitled to.
How HNK Solicitors can help with your data breach claim
If you have been the victim of a data breach, you could be entitled to make a data breach claim, and HNK Solicitors can help with this process. We have a team of expert data breach claim solicitors with years of experience helping clients secure thousands of pounds in compensation for breaches of their data.
We provide free no-obligation consultations to discuss the details of your case, and we can even take on your case on a no-win, no-fee basis. This means you can start your claim today without having to pay a penny, and it’s no risk as you won’t have to pay us anything if your claim is unsuccessful.
HNK has a team of expert solicitors who have years of experience in handling data breach claims. We understand the damage and distress that can be caused when your data is breached and will work hard to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. There are often strict time limits in place for making most data breach compensation claims, so if you think you have been the victim of a data breach, it is essential to act now.
Free Consultation
Contact HNK to arrange a free no-obligation consultation to discuss the details of your claim. We will provide honest, helpful advice on how to progress further.
No-Win-No-Fee
We can support you on a no-win, no-fee basis which means you won’t have to pay a penny until your case is won and your compensation has been awarded.
Trained Experts
Our solicitors are experts in pursuing data breach claims and have helped thousands of clients gain compensation for breaches of data.
FAQ
Currently, you have up to six years to make a data breach claim and one year if it involves a breach of Human Rights. If you have been the victim of a data breach in the last six years, you could be entitled to make a data breach claim, so it is worth getting in touch today to find out.
It is important to note, however, that in some group action cases, the Court sets separate deadlines that cases need to be joined by. Therefore, it is important to act as soon as possible.
When you make a data breach claim with HNK Solicitors, you won’t have to pay a penny upfront.
We take on many cases on a no-win, no-fee basis, which means you don’t have to pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful and would only pay a small percentage of your compensation once you’ve received it.
Any organisation, including public bodies and private companies, can be held accountable for a data breach, as can individuals.
Any organisation that collects a significant amount of sensitive information about people has a legal obligation to store this data responsibly, and if they don’t, a claim can be made against them. The following are some examples of public and private bodies who may hold data about you:
- The police
- The NHS
- Local authorities
- The government
- Her Majesty’s Court (HMCTS)
- Airlines
- Social media companies
- Banks and building societies
- Ticket/Event companies
- Former/Current employers
- Online retailers
Public bodies:
Private bodies:
If you think your data has been breached there are a number of things you should do. Firstly, if possible, find out what data has been breached so you can protect yourself. If any of your financial information has been breached, inform your bank immediately.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data privacy regulator, imposes hefty fines on organisations that fail to meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act. Details of any breaches are published on the ICO website, so you can check there to see if you may have been affected. If you hear a company has been fined for a data breach by the ICO and think you’ve been affected, you should seek legal advice straight away.
If you find out you have been the victim of a data breach and it’s not on the ICO website, you can report the breach to the ICO and make a complaint. They may then investigate, which could lead to the company receiving a fine however, this may not always be the case. Even if the ICO does not act, this doesn’t mean you can’t still make a data breach claim. Get in touch with HNK Solicitors today, and we’ll be able to give you advice on how to proceed and whether we think you have a case.
HNK will be able to assess whether you are entitled to claim for compensation. We can then pursue your case for you on a no-win-no-fee basis.
Under GDPR, you have the right to claim compensation from an organisation for a data breach. This includes both “material damage”, such as loss of money if, for example, someone has stolen your bank account details and taken money out of your account, as well as “non-material damage” which includes damages for you suffering distress and inconvenience as a result of the breach.
You could be owed thousands for a breach of your data. Get in touch with HNK Solicitors today to start your claim.
The average amount of compensation you can receive for a data breach claim varies depending on the severity of the breach and the consequences on yourself.
The best way to ensure you get every penny you’re entitled to is to use an expert data breach solicitor, as we understand the laws and regulations around data breaches so know exactly what you’ll be entitled to.
Let us know what you’re looking for and we will get back to you as soon as we can