If you have been the victim of data theft or loss, you could be entitled to claim compensation and you could benefit from our No Win, No Fee legal representation.
Despite the GDPR and how much a group action compensation action could amount to, information is being misused and exposed all the time. The GDPR ought to have been a real catalyst for change yet, despite this, we’re still seeing huge numbers of incidents taking place.
The victims of a data breach have rights. Here’s some brief guidance about the rights and how we can help.
A common problem
If you have been the victim of data theft or loss, we’re not surprised.
Just look at the number of incidents that have appeared in the news this year alone:
- Virgin Media data exposure that we are running a group action for;
- The monumental easyJet cyber theft that led to the information for 9 million people being compromised – another case we are involved with;
- Marriott / MGM suffering another data breach event as revealed at the start of the year;
- The LOQBOX hack we are representing clients for.
And this is just a few of them. It highlights the severity of the problem and just how big the risks are for data being stolen or misplaced.
One report last year suggested that a quarter of the UK population had been the victim of a data theft or loss incident. This was based on a poll involving a few thousand people, so the reality could be that the real figure is far greater than that. It can be quite hard to find someone who hasn’t at least once had some form of personal information exposed or misused, and that’s the point we are making here.
Most people are also, understandably, worried when personal information is exposed or misused. This can especially be the case following cyberattacks and the theft of data given that the information will usually end up in the hands of criminals. They don’t steal data for fun – it’s done because personal information can be valuable, and it can be abused in a variety of ways to make money.
What needs to change
Simply put, all organisations must change their ways to make sure that they comply with the law if they haven’t done so already. They must invest in data protection infrastructure and make use of internal and external experts to manage processes and procedures.
The GDPR ought to have been the catalyst for change given the fact that the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) can now fine organisations millions of pounds (in theory). They have already issued their first intentions to fine British Airways and Marriot £183m and £99m respectively.
In addition, claims for compensation can total in the billions as well. As featured in the mainstream media, we have estimated that the British Airways data breach could lead to a £3bn pay-out. This year’s Virgin Media incident could amount to a total estimated compensation bill of £4.5bn.
What can you do as the victim of data theft or loss?
If you have been the victim of data theft or loss, you could be entitled to claim compensation with our team now on a No Win, No Fee basis.
You could be entitled to thousands of pounds in damages for the distress caused by the loss of control of your personal information alone. If the theft or loss has resulted in you losing money or paying out any expenses, these could also be considered. Importantly, data breach compensation pay-outs can be based just on the distress alone, which can be significant.
We can assess your potential case on a completely free and no-obligation basis. If we then think that you can succeed with a case, we can offer to work for you if you are eligible for a case with us.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for help and advice today.