What is the British Airways data class action?

We’re now coming up to two months since the British Airways data class action was formalised here in the UK, but if you’re not sure exactly what it is, read on for more information.

As you may already be aware, there were two huge cyber incidents last year involving the airline. The biggest one was announced in September 2018 shortly after its discovery, and as a GDPR breach, claims for compensation for victims could go forward. We started taking cases on right away and have been accepting new claims ever since.

With there being thousands of people signed up with different law firms who are all essentially claiming on similar grounds, the BA Group Action was formed. Here’s how, and what it entails.

Why was the British Airways data class action formed?

The British Airways data class action (also known as a group action) was formed a couple of months ago when Mr Justice Warby gave it the go ahead at a key hearing on 4^th October 2019.

We attended the hearing together with other firms who are serious about taking action for the victims of these huge cyber-attacks. Prior to the hearing, a number of issues had been discussed between the Claimant and Defendant side, and the point of the hearing was to now outline what would happen with the cases moving forward.

As is commonly the case when there are thousands of people claiming for essentially the same incident, it was decided that the BA Group Action should be formed. This allows all the cases to be brought together so that the common issues can be fought together with a “strength in numbers” approach. This prevents the needless costs and time that can be involved for bringing individual claims across different courts all over the country. It’s essentially a nice and efficient way of moving all the claims forward.

What is our role in the class action?

Our role in the British Airways data class action is quite an important one. When an action like this is formed, a Steering Committee is usually formed as well. This Steering Committee is usually a group of two or more law firms who are responsible for the conduct of the litigation on the whole.

We have been fighting for the rights of those affected by the BA data breach, working tirelessly on a No Win, No Fee basis for our valued clients. We’re continuing to take new cases on all the time, and we’re able to offer our clients the benefits of our No Win, No Fee representation.

What happens now with cases?

Now that the British Airways data class action is officially formed, people who want to claim compensation need to formally join the action and the proceedings.

You can join the action now by going to the BA Group Action website here and signing-up. This allows you to start a case and be a part of our client group that will then also form as part of the class action. We’re not just registering information or taking details with the view to claiming later on. Signing up with us means you are a real client who can then be a part of the action.

Moving forward, we’ll keep you updated and make sure that you are a part of the class action prior to the deadline that will hit in January 2021 if you’re eligible.

And remember: signing up with us means you are a client of a Steering Committee law firm attending the key hearings and conducting the litigation. As a client, this can be hugely beneficial for you.

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