Last Updated 24th March 2025. If your personal data has been compromised, you may have suffered psychological or financial harm. You may also be unaware of what steps you could take and how to claim compensation. That’s why we have made this guide to working with data breach solicitors to explain how you could seek compensation following a personal data breach and what they could help you with. 

We have included information on a range of topics, including whether you need to work with a solicitor, how they could help you with gathering evidence and the different forms of compensation they could help you claim.

Towards the bottom of this guide, we explain how working with our firm and our experienced solicitors will be of notable benefit to you. Our solicitors work on the basis of No Win No Fee, which we explore towards the end of this guide.

To get a free evaluation of your eligibility to start a data breach claim, or to ask any questions you may have, talk to our friendly team today using the contact details give here:

• Call an advisor on 0800 073 8804
• Visit our contact page to start a claim online
• Open the live chat at the bottom of your screen

Select A Section

1. Do I Have To Work With Data Breach Solicitors In My Local Area?
2. When Can Data Breach Solicitors Help Me Claim?
3. How Data Breach Solicitors Can Help You Gather Evidence
4. How Much Compensation For A Data Breach Could I Receive?
5. How Do I Know I’ve Instructed The Best Data Breach Solicitors For My Case?
6. Do Data Breach Solicitors Work On A No Win No Fee Basis?
7. More Helpful Links On Data Breach Compensation Claims

Do I Have To Work With Data Breach Solicitors In My Local Area?

An understandable question following a personal data breach is “do I need to work with data breach solicitors near me?” There are certainly advantages to going local. You’d be able to attend in person meetings a lot easier and visit the office to deal with any issues that may arise during the claim.

You may also have been recommended a local solicitor by friends or colleagues and want to take advantage of their strong reputation in the area. While these are all valid and understandable reasons, you do not have to use a local solicitor.

The most important thing is finding a solicitor with a strong reputation and experience in handling data breach claims. Important documents can be sent via email, and meetings can be arranged via phone or video conference software. What this means is you can find the best solicitor for you without geographical restrictions.

To find out how our specialist data breach solicitors could help you make a claim, whether you’re local to us or not, get in touch with our advisors for a free eligibility assessment today.

When Can Data Breach Solicitors Help Me Claim?

Your personal data may be handled by data controllers and data processors. A controller decides the reasoning behind process your data plus it will be processed. They may also process your personal information themselves, or they may give this job to a data processor. A data processor handles the task of processing personal data on behalf of a data controller.

When handling personal data, both data controllers and processors must comply with the rules set out by legislation, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

If your personal information has been compromised in a breach, you could have valid grounds to claim if you can prove the following:

1. The data controller or processor failed to uphold their legal duties under relevant data protection laws.
2. This failure was the cause of a data breach in which your personal information was affected.
3. Because of this personal data breach, you experienced financial losses, psychological distress or both.

Get in touch with our advisors for free today for more information and to check your eligibility to claim and how our data breach solicitors could help.

How Data Breach Solicitors Can Help You Gather Evidence

Evidence is a vital component in any data breach claim. You will need to prove liability for the breach of your personal data and the damage you suffered as a result. In the list below, we look at a few examples of evidence that you could obtain to help support a claim for data breach compensation:

• A letter of notification. If your personal information is compromised in a breach, the organisation must inform you within a certain amount of time if this breach risks your rights and freedoms. They will do this using a ‘letter of notification’.
• Correspondence between yourself and the organisation. If you suspect your personal information has been breached, you can make a complaint to the organisation. This can be done via email or letter, copies of which could support your claim.
• Correspondence from the ICO. Should the response from the organisation be unsatisfactory, you can report the suspected breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is an independent body set up to protect information rights in the UK. They could investigate your complaint, and any findings in support of your claim could provide evidence to strengthen your case.
• Medical evidence. If you are claiming for psychological damage, you can submit a copy of your medical records.
• Evidence of financial losses. If you suffered financial harm and would like to recover your losses, copies of your credit report or bank statements can help prove this.

A lawyer specialising in data breach compensation claims can help you gather sufficient evidence. Get in touch with an advisor to find out how a lawyer can help and for more information about evidence.

How Much Compensation For A Data Breach Could I Receive?

If your personal data breach claim succeeds, you could be awarded compensation for your non-material damage and material damage.

First, we’ll discuss non-material damage. This refers to the impact the breach has on your mental health. For example, a data breach might cause you to suffer from anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder.

When data protection solicitors value claims for non-material damage, they may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This text provides compensation guidelines for different psychological injuries. You can find some figures from the 17th edition (2024) of this publication in the table below. Please note that these are guidelines only. It should also be noted that the top row is not from the JCG.

Material Damage Compensation

Material damage refers to the financial losses you experience as a result of a personal data breach. For example, if you need to take time off work to recover from the psychological effects of the breach, this could lead to lost earnings. You could potentially claim these lost earnings back under material damage compensation.

You might be wondering, “Do I need to work with data breach solicitors near me in order to claim data breach compensation?” One of the benefits of appointing our solicitors is that they take on claims from all over the country, which means you aren’t limited to using data breach solicitors in your area. Contact our team of advisors today to learn more.

How Do I Know I’ve Instructed The Best Data Breach Solicitors For My Case?

If you suffer due to a breach of your personal information, you can only make one compensation claim. It’s therefore important to instruct the best data breach solicitors possible because if you don’t get properly compensated, you can’t claim again.

To help you understand if you’re working with the right GDPR solicitors, there are some checks you can make:

• Reviews – one of the best ways to check if you’re working with reliable data protection breach solicitors is to look at their reviews. Law firms, such as ourselves, take pride in the reviews left by clients and providing a service that goes beyond their expectations. You can look at honest review platforms like Trustpilot and Google Reviews to get an idea of the experiences of previous clients.
• Registration Status – All law firms should be authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It’s a simple check, but search the name of your data breach lawyers on the SRA register here.
• No Win No Fee – a quality law firm will offer to represent you in your data breach compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis. We explain more on this below.
• Early Exchanges – If you’re trying to assess whether the solicitors you’ve instructed are the best fit for you, it’s important to check how you feel after the early exchanges with them, either by phone, live chat or email. The best data breach lawyers will explain the process in detail, answer your questions with patience, and make you feel confident you’ve made the right choice

Do Data Breach Solicitors Work On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Stating a data breach claim can feel overwhelming and intimidating, especially if you are unfamiliar with the law. However, you have a legal right to claim compensation for the suffering your data breach has caused. Therefore, at Legal Expert, we have an excellent team of data breach solicitors with many years of experience who help people like yourself claim compensation. 

Our solicitors can use their expertise to help you by:

• Walking you through each stage of the claims process 
• Explaining legal documentation and terminology
• Helping you obtain evidence and building your claim
• Explaining how compensation is calculated 
• Setting you up with appointments such as with a psychologist
• Negotiating settlements on your behalf

Understandably, you may also be worried about the cost of legal representation. However, our data breach solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis, through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Therefore, you can avoid paying any upfront costs. 

If your claim is successful, you will pay your solicitor a success fee for their work on your claim. However, if you sign a CFA, this will be taken as a small and legally capped percentage of your compensation. On the other hand, if your claim is unsuccessful after signing a CFA, you will not be asked to pay your solicitor for their work. However, our solicitors will work hard to avoid this outcome.

We acknowledge that you may have many questions regarding the cost of starting a claim or how our GDPR solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. Therefore, you can contact our advisors anytime to have them answered.

Start Your Claim

You could also take advantage of our initial consultation to get free legal advice on claiming for data breaches. Reach out to our advisors to see if we could start working on your case.

• Call on 0800 073 8804
• Visiting our contact page to start your claim online
• Use the live chat feature

More Helpful Links On Data Breach Compensation Claims

• Find out if you can sue a company for a data breach with our helpful guide.
• If your witness details were exposed in a police data breach, you may be able to claim. Learn more with this guide.
• Find out how much compensation you could claim for a medical data breach and learn more about the claims process.

Remember, if you need any advice from our data breach solicitors, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Last updated 19th May 2025. If you want to know how to make a personal injury claim for depression, Legal Expert is here to answer all your questions.

Whether you are in an accident at work, in a road traffic accident or elsewhere, the experience could leave you physically injured. However, the consequences of the event could leave you suffering from depression too. The psychological damage could prevent you from working or leading a normal life.  If you have evidence that you’ve suffered this type of harm due to negligence by another party, you may be entitled to claim personal injury compensation.

A traumatic road traffic accident could leave you suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or a workplace accident may leave you with anxiety issues. If you find it hard to stay positive and your mental health is negatively impacted, you could have grounds to seek compensation for the trauma you experienced.

Our guide aims to provide you with advice and information on how to go about proving an accident caused you to suffer depression. We explain what you should do to support your claim. We also explain how the consequences of psychological harm can impact your future life and livelihood.

For more advice and information please continue reading our guide by clicking on the sections that follow. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a member of the Legal Expert team, please reach out using our freephone telephone number which is 0800 073 8804 or visit our ‘contact us‘ page.

Select a Section

• How To Make A Personal Injury Claim For Depression
• Accident Scenarios That Could Lead To A Depression Claim
• Examples Of Depression Compensation Payouts For The UK
• No Win No Fee Agreements For Psychological Harm Claims
• Discuss Your Claim With Legal Expert
• Additional Advice On Making A Personal Injury Claim For Depression

How To Make A Personal Injury Claim For Depression

The following sections will provide some useful information on how to make a personal injury claim for depression, looking at evidence and time limits. 

Will I Need To Obtain Evidence?

For depression compensation claims to be successful, it is important to obtain evidence to prove how the third party was responsible for the claimant’s injuries. 

Some examples of evidence that may be useful to collect to support your claim include:

• Copies of your medical reports that state your psychological diagnosis 
• Copies of your prescriptions that state what medication you have
• Copies of reports written by psychologists regarding your condition
• A copy of the accident report book in which the incident was recorded
• Copies of diary entries you have made regarding your suffering 
• Photographs from the scene of the accident 
• Dashcam or CCTV footage showing your accident 
• Copies of police reports, if they were called to the scene 
• Witness contact details 

The evidence you collect should illustrate how the third party was in breach of their duty of care and how this resulted in your injuries. 

Understandably, if you are suffering from your mental health, you may find it difficult to go through evidence that reminds you of the details of your accident. However, our solicitors can support you with this.

The Statutory Time Limit Associated with Personal Injury Claims

You must respect the statutory time limit when you file a personal injury claim. The deadline is 3 years from the date you were harmed. However, the time limit could begin from the date of awareness. Also known as the date of knowledge, this refers to the day when the injury or condition you’re claiming for was diagnosed or connected to negligence. 

There are exceptions to the three year time limit which includes when a minor is harmed, or if a person lacks the mental capacity to file a claim themselves. To find out which time limit applies to your case, please get in touch with a member of our team today.

To discuss your case with one of our friendly advisers, please give us a call today. We provide you with an initial consultation which is free of charge. You can ask a member of our team any questions you may have about filing a personal injury claim for depression.

Accident Scenarios That Could Lead To A Depression Claim

You could develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when you are involved in a serious accident. There are various traumatic events that could leave you suffering from PTSD and other psychological injuries. This includes:

• A serious road traffic accident. Such incidents can be very severe. So even if you just witness one, it could leave you with PTSD
• You could be the victim of a crime. The effects could leave you feeling helpless, vulnerable and unable to cope with life. All of these feelings are common symptoms of PTSD
• An accident in a public place could leave you traumatised and unable to forget what happened to you. Constant flashbacks of the incident could negatively impact your health and well-being

All road users should abide by the Highway Code which sets out guidelines to keep people safe whether in a car, or as a pedestrian. In addition, an employer must protect you in the workplace by adhering to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Supermarkets, shops, and council owned parks must make areas safe for the public by following the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.

If you can prove third party negligence led to an accident happening which left you traumatised, you could have grounds to sue. Legal Expert can help you file a claim for compensation. One of our friendly advisers can offer free advice on how to make a personal injury claim for depression.

Examples Of Depression Compensation Payouts For The UK

Compensation for successful psychiatric injury claims for stress and depression could be made up of two heads of loss. These heads are called special damages and general damages.

General damages will address how you have been psychologically and physically impacted by third-party negligence. If your claim is successful, then this head of claim will definitely be awarded.

Here are some factors that are looked at when general damages is being evaluated:

• Whether quality of life has been decreased.
• What your prognosis is.
• What treatment is needed.

During the process of the claim, you might be invited to attend an independent medical assessment. The reports from this, along with the guidelines from the Judicial College (JCG), can help evaluate this head of claim.

The JCG contains different physical and mental injuries and provides guideline compensation brackets for each one.

Guideline Compensation Table

We have taken some psychological injuries from the JCG and also included their guideline compensation brackets (the first figure is ours, however).

However, for your specific personal injury claim for depression, there is no guarantee for what set compensation award you could receive if your case is successful. The reason is that all claims are unique.

Special Damages

Special damages will address how you have been financially impacted by third-party negligence. If your claim is successful, then this head of claim might possibly be awarded.

Here are some financial losses that you might incur from suffering depression or other mental health illnesses:

• The costs for therapy and counselling.
• Loss of earnings for requiring time off work to recover from your illness.
• Travel costs to and from appointments and sessions to treat your condition.

Since this head of claim is not guaranteed to be awarded if your personal injury claim for depression is successful, having evidence to support you is vital. Such evidence can include payslips, invoices, bank statements, and receipts.

If you have an eligible personal injury claim for depression and want to find out more about how your potential compensation could be calculated, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

No Win No Fee Agreements For Psychological Harm Claims

Providing you have grounds to sue for compensation, you could make a personal injury claim for depression on a No Win No Fee basis. This is where Legal Expert can be of assistance because all our solicitors offer these terms. You only pay a No Win No Fee lawyer when you win your case. You pay the amount (success fee) out of your compensation payout.

If your case does not succeed, you won’t pay the No Win No Fee solicitor their legal fees. Call us now to find out whether you have grounds to make a No Win No Fee personal injury claim for depression.

We provide an initial consultation to everyone who gets in touch which is free of charge.

Discuss Your Claim With Legal Expert

To discuss your claim with one of our experienced, friendly advisers, please get in touch today. We have the necessary expertise to manage your case. A member of our team will provide essential advice on how to make a personal injury claim for depression.

Call us now to find out if you can make a No Win No Fee claim on 0800 073 8804. You can reach an adviser 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively, you can get in touch in the following ways:

• Email at [email protected]
• Request a call back on our ‘contact us‘ page
• Live Chat

Call us now to find out if you have a valid claim and benefit from free legal advice and an initial, no obligation consultation which is also free of charge. A member of the team is here to answer all your questions on how to make a personal injury claim for depression.

Additional Advice On Making A Personal Injury Claim For Depression

Claiming compensation on a No Win No Fee basis

How to claim for psychological damage

More information on Post-traumatic stress disorder compensation

NHS advice for mental health issues

By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 23rd February 2023. Welcome to our guide on who can claim compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. If your loved one was in a fatal accident due to someone else’s negligence, this guide explains the different steps you can take when making a claim. 

We also look at the relationship between the Fatal Accidents Act and the bereavement award that you can claim under that piece of legislation.

You could claim compensation if you could prove your relative’s accident was due to the negligence of another party. Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 and Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934, the family of the deceased have the ability to claim for damages. 

This guide will help you figure out your next steps and how you could start a fatal accident claim. 

If you want more information, you can contact us for free legal advice today. If our advisors think your claim could have a good chance of success, they could connect you with our experienced solicitors, who can help you make a claim.

You can get in touch with us by:

• Calling 0800 073 8804
• Writing to us online about your case
• Chatting with our specialist advisors using our live chat function

Continue reading for more information about claiming compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act. 

Select A Section

1. Important Information About The Fatal Accidents Act
2. What Legal Rights Does The Fatal Accidents Act Give You?
3. The Role Of The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act
4. Who Is Allowed To Make A Fatal Accident Claim As A Dependent?
5. The Fatal Accidents Act And The Bereavement Award
6. How Long Do You Have To Claim Compensation Under The Fatal Accidents Act?
7. Fatal Accident Compensation Claims Calculator
8. What Else Can Fatal Accident Compensation Include?
9. No Win No Fee Agreements And Claims Under The Fatal Accidents Act
10. Start A Fatal Accident Claim
11. Further Advice On The Fatal Accidents Act

Important Information About The Fatal Accidents Act

A fatal accident can occur when someone has tragically and unexpectedly lost their life due to another person’s unlawful or negligent actions. If this happens, you could be able to claim compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.

There are a variety of circumstances in which someone could suffer from a fatal accident. It could happen whilst at work, in a road traffic accident, or even in public. For example, if your partner was in a bad car accident due to negligent driving, and they died because of it, you could be able to claim compensation from the other driver. 

In the workplace, employers have a duty of care to keep all employees safe. On the roads, everyone has a duty of care towards each other. Accidents can happen when someone breaches their duty of care. You could then hold the negligent party liable if you suffer injuries as a consequence. 

Unexpectedly losing someone close to you is likely to be a terrible experience, no matter what’s happened. You may not be prepared for how it can affect your mental health and finances. 

In these situations, the last thing you need is a difficult legal process. That’s why our solicitors support claimants throughout the fatal accident claims process Get in touch with us today for more information.

What Legal Rights Does The Fatal Accidents Act Give You?

The Fatal Accidents Act means you can claim for the pain and suffering suffered by the deceased between the accident and their death. You can also claim for any financial loss caused by the deceased’s passing or of any integral services they may have provided.

If you’ve lost someone close to you in a fatal accident caused by negligence, you could be able to seek compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act. It covers a variety of compensation types that you could claim. 

If your loved one suffered in the time between their accident and their death, you could claim against the liable party for this hardship, similar to how the deceased would have claimed if they were still alive. 

To claim under the Fatal Accidents Act, you need to be a close relation to the deceased, such as a spouse, child or parent. There have also been more recent changes to the Act, which mean you can claim compensation if you were cohabiting with the deceased for at least two years prior to their death. 

The executor or administrator of the will can start the action on the dependents’ behalf, but if they do not seek a claim within six months of the death, the dependents can then pursue it themselves.

The Role Of The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act

The Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act is put in place to ensure that the estate can claim if a death was caused by negligence. 

In this, any compensation awarded will go to the beneficiaries listed in the deceased’s will if there is such a document. If there is not, it will likely go to the next of kin.

To make a claim under the Act, a Grant of Probate is needed if there is a will. This is to confirm the authority of the executor in executing the deceased’s will. Letters of Administration will be required if there is not a will.

Under this Act, you can seek to claim for:

• General damages – This covers the injury incurred by the deceased and any mental health issues that may have arisen because of it
• Loss of earnings – In case the deceased lost earnings or income in the time between the accident and their passing
• Gratuitous care and support – If the care you gave the deceased before their passing went above and beyond
• Financial expenses – These involve expenses of the family and loved ones such as travel expenses to and from the hospital and loss of earnings while visiting the deceased
• Funeral costs – Funerals are often a large expense for loved ones to cover
• Probate costs – This covers the time and costs of applying for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration

Who Is Allowed To Make A Fatal Accident Claim As A Dependent?

You might wonder who can make a fatal accident claim as a dependent. Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, dependents can claim compensation for the loss of financial dependency stemming from a person’s death caused by negligence. Compensation that is awarded can reflect both past and future financial dependency.

The following people are classed as dependants under The Act and are potentially able to make fatal injury claims:

• A spouse or civil partner (including former partners)
• A partner who is unmarried but has lived with the deceased for over two years
• Children, including biological, adopted or anyone who was treated as their child
• Parents, grandparents and other relatives

If you have been affected by a fatal accident, check your eligibility to claim free of charge. All you need to do is get in touch and we can potentially connect you with one of our experienced solicitors.

The Fatal Accidents Act And The Bereavement Award

If a person has died in an accident because of negligence, you, as their family, may be entitled to a statutory bereavement award under the Fatal Accidents Act. This amount is currently set at £15,120. This is the same in England and Wales but is considered on a case-by-case basis in Scotland. 

This can be paid to:

• The deceased’s spouse or civil partner
• The parents, if the deceased was under 18 and never married
• Just the mother if the deceased was considered ‘not a legitimate’ minor 

Recent changes to the awards mean that you can also now claim if you were the deceased’s partner, cohabiting with the deceased for at least 2 years prior to their death.

How Long Do You Have To Claim Compensation Under The Fatal Accidents Act?

The general date for personal injury claims is three years from the accident. For fatal accident claims, it is three years from the date of death or the date that death was linked to being caused by another party’s negligence.

If the victim survived the accident but died within three years due to it, the time period will run from the date of death, not the date of the accident. 

Should the victim have survived the accident and died because of it more than three years later but did not start a claim despite knowing about their injuries, the relatives may struggle to start a claim on their behalf post-death. 

If the victim died due to medical negligence, they might not have been aware their symptoms were connected to negligence until many years after the accident. In this case, the relatives could have three years following death.

Time limits for fatal accident claims can be complicated and vary depending on different circumstances. If you’d like to know how much time you might have left to claim, why not get in touch?

Fatal Accident Compensation Claims Calculator

In this section, we will look at guidelines for compensation amounts for fatal accident claims. These figures are taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, which are used to help value personal injury claims. 

The figures shown in the compensation table below relate to general damages, which is the element of compensation that covers the physical consequences of the injury. 

It is important to note that the figures are guideline amounts, and each case will be valued individually according to the circumstances. 

Try not to worry if you don’t see your loved one’s circumstances here. If you get in touch today, we can discuss your situation in further detail and consider if you could make a successful claim.

What Else Can Fatal Accident Compensation Include?

When seeking compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act, you can claim:

• A statutory bereavement award as mentioned above
• Loss of consortium
• Financial dependency
• Services dependency

Under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934, you can claim the compensation already mentioned in a previous section. This includes Financial expenses you suffered due to the death. 

Financial Expenses

This can cover any financial losses or expenses already accumulated due to the death. This can cover:

• Loss of earnings due to having to be off work
• Travel expenses, such as to and from hospital

To claim this compensation, you will need to provide evidence of the costs you have incurred. For example, you could show invoices or payslips to show loss of earnings. 

Loss of Consortium

Loss of Consortium covers a loss of ‘unquantifiable’, special services. For example, if a young child loses a parent, attaching a figure to this could be difficult. Claimants have regularly recovered awards under £10,000 when claiming under loss of Consortium.

Financial Dependency

Financial dependency covers cases where the bereaved may have been financially dependent on the deceased. This could be in the case of an elderly parent or child, for example. This will be awarded for the period of time between the date of death and the trial date for past financial loss. Then, from the trial date onwards, it would be considered future financial loss. 

If the dependent is a child, the court will require evidence to demonstrate how long they would have continued to be financially dependent. 

Services Dependency

Services dependency claims cover compensation for lost services the deceased would have otherwise provided. For a child who has lost a parent, they could claim for loss of basic care. Another example could be if someone lost their partner, but that partner was the household’s main cook, cleaner and gardener. 

How Dependency Claims Are Calculated

Financial dependency will be evaluated on a number of factors. Salary, investments, and pensions will all be taken into account, as well as any state benefits. It will also be calculated according to the dependent’s income.

Services dependency will be calculated by looking at information about the deceased’s regular routine and how their death will impact the regular routine of the dependents.

No Win No Fee Agreements And Claims Under The Fatal Accidents Act

If your loved one has suffered a fatal accident because of a breach of duty of care, speak to one of our skilled advisors today. You could be eligible for compensation. 

If our advisors connect you with one of our experienced solicitors, they may offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that in the event your claim isn’t successful, your solicitor won’t ask you to pay them. 

However, in the event your claim is successful, your solicitor will deduct a legally capped ‘success fee’ from your compensation. Legally capping the fee means you can get the majority of the compensation you’re awarded. 

You could speak to one of our advisors today to find out more about whether a No Win No Fee agreement could help you fund your claim. They could connect with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. 

Start A Fatal Accident Claim

You could start your claim today if a loved one was involved in a fatal accident that was the result of negligence. Also, you can hire a solicitor that is not in your local area as long as they have the requisite experience to help you. That means you’ll not be restricted to the services of solicitors in your area. 

What’s more, if our solicitors are able to handle your claim, they’ll do so without any upfront or ongoing payments for their fee. 

Get in touch with us today to find out more about seeking compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act. You can:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Write to us online about your case
• Or chat with our specialist advisors using our live chat function

Further Advice On The Fatal Accidents Act

• Compensation Claims for Pavement Accidents – A guide to claiming compensation after a pavement accident.
• Compensation for Brain Injuries After a Serious Assault – A guide to claiming compensation after suffering from a brain injury after a serious assault. 
• Claiming Compensation after an Accident on Holiday – A guide to claiming compensation after being involved in an accident on holiday. 
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – This charity provides advice and guidance about reducing the risk of accidents causing injury.
• Litigation Friends – A guide on what it means to be a litigation friend for someone who cannot make a claim themselves. 
• Health and Safety Executive – The website for Britain’s regulator for workplace health and safety.
• Find out how to make a tattoo negligence claim with our guide.

Thank you for reading our guide to compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act.

By Cat Soong. Updated 3rd October 2024. This guide is focused on making lost and stolen devices data breach claims.

Sometimes it’s essential for organisations to store or access personal data on devices such as laptops. For example, many administrators are able to work from home and access company systems online by using a laptop.

If this device is lost or stolen, there should be security measures in place so that anyone unlawfully accessing the laptop won’t be able to see the personal data on the company’s online systems. What’s more, employees should be trained so they’re aware of data protection security.

This guide will explain why you might have a valid claim if an organisation fails to take appropriate measures and, consequently, your personal data is involved in a data breach. We also look at how you’d need to show you suffered financial loss or psychological harm (or both) as a result.

One consideration to keep in mind is that every claim is at least somewhat unique. Although yours might be similar in some ways to other data breach claims, they won’t be identical. Because of this, we may not have covered every answer you have in this guide. However, we do have our advisors available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

They give free legal advice with no obligation for you to proceed with the services of our solicitors.

You can call 0800 073 8804 and speak to an advisor whenever you’re ready. You could also use our live chat for instant answers online.

Select A Section

1. What Is A Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claim?
2. What Devices Could Be Lost Or Stolen?
3. How Could Human Error Cause A Device To Be Lost Or Stolen?
4. What Kind Of Information Can Be Stolen From Data Breaches?
5. Preventing The Loss And Theft Of Devices
6. How To Sue For A Breach Of My Information Security
7. Types Of Damages Awarded Following A Data Protection Breach
8. Calculating Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims
9. No Win No Fee Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims
10. Get In Touch
11. Learn More
12. FAQs On Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims

What Is A Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claim?

It is not just a stolen mobile phone or a lost laptop that could become the basis of a data breach claim. Any portable device or gadget capable of storing personal data could be the cause of lost or stolen devices data breach claims.

A personal data breach is caused by a security issue that leads to the unlawful or unauthorised access, disclosure, destruction, alteration or loss of personal information.

Types Of Data Protected

Personal data/information is any information that can be used to identify you, whether on its own or with other information. For example, your name, address and email address are examples of personal data. However, other data, such as credit card numbers and bank account numbers are personal data.

Special category data is a type of personal data. However, it is deemed more sensitive. It is personal data about:

• racial/ethnic origin;
• political beliefs;
• religious or philosophical beliefs;
• trade union membership;
• genetic data;
• biometric data (if used for the purposes of identification);
• health;
• sex life; and
• sexual orientation.

To find out if you could be eligible to make a lost laptop data breach claim, call our team of advisors by following the information at the bottom of the screen.

The Laws That Apply

Before the UK left the European Union (EU), we followed the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). However, the EU GDPR was enacted into UK law through the Data Protection Act 2018. It sits alongside an amended version of the UK GDPR.

Essentially, organisations that collect, hold or process personal information should abide by data protection legislation. If they fail to take appropriate steps to protect your personal data and it is involved in a data breach as a consequence, you could claim. You could be able to recover compensation for financial losses and psychological harm.

What Devices Could Be Lost Or Stolen?

There is a range of different gadgets and portable devices that could become the basis of lost or stolen devices data breach claims. They include:

• Mobile phones
• Tablets
• Laptops
• USB memory sticks
• Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)
• Portable hard drives
• Smartwatches

For example, in a lost laptop data breach claim, your personal information may have been exposed to thieves or passers-by who may have come across a laptop on public transport or in a public area. If this laptop is not secured, your data may become accessible to people who are not authorised to see it.

If your personal data has been exposed in a data breach caused by a stolen laptop, contact our advisors today. If your claim is valid, they may be able to put you in touch with one of our expert data breach solicitors.

How Could Human Error Cause A Device To Be Lost Or Stolen?

Lost or stolen devices data breach claims that are the result of human error can occur. For example, an organisation may not have trained their employees properly in personal data protection. This could have led to the accidental loss of personal information.

Physical Security Errors

The loss or theft of a device involves handling the device physically. Though many employees are trained in online personal data security (such as avoiding falling for phishing emails), they may not be aware of potential physical security errors.

Examples of security errors that could lead to data breaches are:

• Leaving a phone that has access to personal information in a place where it could be accessed unlawfully.
• Data breach caused by a stolen laptop
• A smartwatch that has access to personal information being stolen.
• A USB memory stick containing personal data falling out of a pocket.
• An external hard drive doesn’t have personal data securely removed before it is thrown away.
• A tablet with access to personal information is stolen out of a bag while it is left unattended.
• A USB memory stick containing personal data is leant to a third party, and they access and steal the data.

If your personal data was lost or exposed due to a physical security error, such as a data breach caused by a stolen laptop, get in touch today. Our team of expert advisors can provide free legal advice and help starting your claim.

What Kind Of Information Can Be Stolen From Data Breaches?

We have looked at some of the ways that human error or lax physical security can lead to lost or stolen devices data breach claims. Now, we look at the kinds of personal data that organisations might store about you. Examples are given below.

• Names
• Addresses
• Email Addresses
• Bank account and credit/debit card information.
• National Insurance Number
• Passport copies
• Driving licence copies
• Logins and passwords

All of this data could potentially be exploited in some way which, in turn, could cause you financial loss and stress, trauma or mental hardship.

Preventing The Loss And Theft Of Devices

A valid claim involves proving that you suffered financial loss or mental harm because of the data breach.

However, in order to avoid claims, organisations can take steps to protect a device from loss or theft. For example, they might:

• Restrict the use of devices such as USBs and keep their use strictly monitored.
• Train employees in data protection.
• Ensure appropriate security measures are put in place.
• Enable location tracking on phones, tablets and laptops that have this feature.
• Install quality security patches and hotfixes, as well as antivirus updates too.

Many organisations that handle personal information will even prohibit the use of portable devices such as USBs altogether.

If the device has been lost or stolen then, whether or not preventative measures have been taken, an employee should report a lost device, or report a stolen device.

How To Sue For A Breach Of My Information Security

One of the keys to lost and stolen devices data breach claims is proving that a party that was supposed to protect your personal data failed to do so through positive wrongful conduct.

For example, an organisation may not have trained staff properly in personal data protection. Alternatively, it may not have had appropriate data security. Either of these examples could lead to personal data being lost or stolen.

If you suffered financial loss or psychological harm as a result of the data breach, you could claim.  To begin with, you’d need to collect evidence such as:

• Emails from the organisation confirming that your personal data was involved in a data breach.
• Financial documents (such as credit scores) that show your losses caused by the data breach.
• Medical records that show how your mental health was impacted.

Our expert data breach solicitors can help if your information has been exposed in a data breach caused by a stolen laptop or other stolen or lost device. They have helped many claimants get the compensation they were entitled to. Call today to learn how to get your claim started.

Should The ICO Be Informed Of Lost And Stolen Devices?

You do have the option of reporting a data breach to the ICO. This is not mandatory: it is entirely up to you whether you take this step before starting a claim.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that if the ICO upholds your report and complaint, it could add weight to your claim. Keep in mind, though, that the ICO may only follow up on a report of a data breach if you’ve already tried to resolve the issue with the organisation that was supposed to protect your personal information.

Essentially, if you’ve contacted the organisation and haven’t received a satisfactory response, you’d need to get in touch with the ICO about the breach within three months of the organisation’s final response to you. Waiting longer than this can affect how they deal with the complaint.

Types Of Damages Awarded Following A Data Protection Breach

There are two potential sources of damages if lost or stolen devices data breach claims are successful. These are material damages (monetary loss), and non-material damages (trauma, stress, mental harm, etc.).

Firstly, let’s cover material damages. If your personal data is used for theft, it could cost you financially. For example, after a case of identity theft you may find your bank account empty and your credit cards to the limit.

Additionally, you may have had to pay for therapy sessions that the NHS couldn’t cover. If the financial loss was caused by the data breach, you can potentially claim it back.

Non-material damages are paid for the psychological injuries you suffer due to the data breach. Dealing with a personal data breach could be stressful and traumatic. However, you could be able to claim for this.

In the case, Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015], the Court of Appeal held that claimants who had not suffered a monetary loss due to a data breach could claim for psychological harm if they’d suffered it.

Before this case, you had to have suffered financial loss in order to claim for psychological harm too. Now you could claim for both or either.

You might like to call and speak to an advisor to learn what types of damages might be appropriate in your own case.

Calculating Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims

You may be wondering ‘how much compensation can I get for a breach of data protection?’ If you want to find out roughly how much lost or stolen devices data breach claims could be worth, you can try our compensation calculator.

Alternatively, you can use the compensation table below to work this out. We referred to the guidelines that are produced by the Judicial College to make this table. These guidelines contain brackets of potential compensation for various injuries and their severities. Legal professionals use the guidelines to help them when valuing injuries.

Our advisors give free estimates of what you could claim by taking into account different factors regarding your case.

In order to prove your injuries were caused or exacerbated by the accident, you’d need to attend a medical assessment. An independent medical professional would assess the psychological harm you’ve suffered and create a report that establishes the severity of the injury.

The report can be used to support your claim as well as for valuing your injuries.

No Win No Fee Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims

It could be possible to make lost and stolen devices data breach claims using a No Win No Fee lawyer. This means you wouldn’t need to pay upfront fees to the lawyer at the beginning of the claim. Also, you’d have no lawyer fees during the time it takes to process the claim. Furthermore, if the claim fails, you won’t need to pay a penny in lawyer fees.

If the claim is won, then a success fee would be due to the solicitor. However, this is capped by law and is collected out of the compensation payment after it comes through.

Our lawyers offer a No Win No Fee agreement to those whose claims are accepted. To find out more, why not get in touch?

Get In Touch

Do you need more information about making lost or stolen devices data breach claims? Or perhaps you have evidence of a valid lost laptop data breach claim? No matter what legal advice you need, call and speak to one of our advisors using the contact information below. They are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to help you.

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Use our webchat on this page for instant online answers
• Use our claim online form and we’ll get back to you
  

Learn More

The following links will take you to more of our data breach guides.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Claims
• Data Breach Claims Against Employers
• Social Services Data Breach Claims
• University of Northampton Data Breach
• University of Portsmouth Data Breach
• University of Salford Data Breach
• University of Sheffield Data Breach
• University of Southampton Data Breach
• University of Suffolk Data Breach
• University of Surrey Data Breach
• University of Sussex Data Breach
• University of the Highlands And Islands Data Breach
• University of the West of England Data Breach
• University of Warwick Data Breach
• University of Westminster Data Breach
• University of Winchester Data Breach
• University of Wolverhampton Data Breach
• University of Worcester Data Breach
• Watford Community Housing Data Breach
• Whitbread Data Breach Compensation Claims
• Wiltshire Council Data Breach
• Wolverhampton Council Data Breach
• Wrexham County Borough Council Data Breach
• I Suffered Stress Due To A Data Breach, Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation?
• Virgin Media Data Breach Compensation Claims
• GP Data Breach Compensation Claims
• Anglia Ruskin University Data Breach Claims
• Employer Personal Data Breach Claims
• Can I Get Compensation For Loss Of Medical Records?
• My Personal Data Has Been Lost After A Breach, What Are My Rights?
• Learn how to make a school data breach claim with our helpful guide and find out more about the data breach claims process.

The following external links may be of use to you.

The ICO’s Email Marketing Guidelines

Sending Personal Data By Email

Spam Emails: What Are They?

FAQs On Lost And Stolen Devices Data Breach Claims

Here are some short answers to questions often asked about device data breach claims.

Can I get compensation for a data breach?

If you have suffered financial loss or mental hardship due to a data breach, you may be able to claim data breach compensation.

How much compensation can I get for a breach of data protection?

This is difficult to say, as it is based on the specifics of your claim. Call our advisors to have your claim valued for free.

What kind of information can be stolen from data breaches?

Your personal data could be accessed and used if you lose a device or have one stolen and it held your unsecured personal information. For example, in a lost laptop data breach, the thief may have access to personal records stored on an office network. This, in turn, could lead to a data breach claim.

Is A Lost Phone A Data Breach?

If a phone contains personal or special category data, it could be classed as a data breach.

What constitutes a breach of data protection?

In reference to lost or stolen devices data breach claims, a data breach could be defined as a security breach that leads to the unlawful or unauthorised loss or access of personal data. Generally, a data breach also includes the unlawful or unauthorised destruction, alteration or disclosure of personal information.

Written by Wheeler

Edited by Victorine

By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 31st March 2025. This guide will focus on how to make a failure to use blind carbon copy on email data breach claims. This is a very easy mistake to make when sending out a group email. However, a failure to use BCC can result in your email address being exposed to a party that you may prefer does not have access to it. In this guide, we look at how these mistakes can happen, as well as the types of harm they may cause you. Additionally, we will go over the process of making a BBC data breach claim.

However, please keep in mind that your claim is going to be unique in some way. It might be somewhat similar to other claims, but it won’t match exactly. And because of this, we might not have covered every question you have. Don’t worry if this is the case though, we can still provide you with the answers that you need. Just give us a call on 0800 073 8804. The line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One of our claim advisors will get you the answers you need.

Select A Section:

• When Can You Claim For A BCC Data Breach?
• What Is The Difference Between CC And BCC?
• How To Prevent A Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On An Email Data Breach
• Do I Need Evidence To Make A Data Breach Claim?
• How To Calculate Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On Email Data Breach Claims
• No Win No Fee Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On Email Data Breach Claims
• Learn More

If you’d like to learn about the key points from this guide, why not check out our video below:

When Can You Claim For A BCC Data Breach?

You might be wondering when you could claim compensation for a BCC data breach. To form the basis of a valid claim, you must be able to prove that:

• The breach was caused by wrongful conduct.
• It affected your personal data.
• You suffered financial or psychological harm as a result.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) protect the personal data of UK residents, and data controllers and data processors are expected to comply.

A data controller decides how and why they need to use your personal data. A data processor is someone who processes personal data on behalf of a data controller. Personal data is information that others can use to identify you. For example, this might include your phone number, your personal email address, or your home address.

A personal data breach is defined by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a security incident that affects your personal data’s availability, confidentiality, or integrity.

If a data breach caused you to suffer mental or financial harm, contact our team. They can assess the eligibility of your case and offer you free advice. You can also head here to learn more about whether or not an email address is a breach of GDPR here.

What Is The Difference Between CC and BCC?

If your personal data has been exposed due to a failure to use blind carbon copy on an email data breach, you may be wondering what the difference is between CC and BCC. Here are the differences:

• Carbon Copy (CC) – all email addresses added in the CC box are visible to all recipients of the email, and is used when you want everyone to know who has received the email. Using the CC box allows everyone to be able to access the email addresses of all recipients. 
• Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) – all email addresses added in the BCC box are not visible to all recipients of the email, and is often used in mass emails. Using the BCC box prevents the email addresses of the recipients from being accessed by anyone else. When BCC is not appropriately or correctly used, this could potentially lead to a data breach. 

As such, when mass emailing people who are out of your organisation, BCC should always be used. This is to protect the recipients’ personal data from being exposed, so that their email address is not visible to others. 

If your personal data was exposed because CC was used instead of BCC, please contact us today. We can help you make a data breach claim if you’re eligible for compensation.

How To Prevent A Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On An Email Data Breach

Some advice on how to protect personal data in the workplace is to train staff in proper usage of CC and BCC. These types of email breaches are often caused by human error. And here are a few tips on how to overcome this.

• Ensure that staff are knowledgeable about their own responsibilities for protecting data under UK GDPR.
• Train staff to understand what the difference is between CC and BCC, and to know when to use them.
• Ensure that staff know to show both the CC and BCC fields when an email is being written.
• Ensure that staff know what the internal reporting process is if they do accidentally cause an email data breach.

Do I Need Evidence To Make A Data Breach Claim?

If you are eligible to claim compensation because someone failed to send an email with BCC, exposing your personal data and causing you harm, you will need evidence. Some examples of the evidence you could use to help support your claim include:

• Evidence that your personal data was breached. This could be a confirmation letter or email from the organisation responsible for the breach, confirming what personal data of yours was compromised.
• Any correspondence between you and the organisation regarding the breach.
• If you reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and they decide to investigate the breach, their findings could be used as evidence. The ICO are an independent body that upholds information rights. However, you must make the report to them within 3 months of your last meaningful communication with the organisation regarding the breach.
• Evidence you suffered psychological harm, such as a copy of your medical records stating any diagnosis.
• Evidence you suffered financial harm, such as a copy of your bank statements.

If you’re concerned about how to gather evidence to support your claim, you might be interested in getting help from a solicitor who specialises in email CC and BCC data breach claims. They could assist you in gathering relevant evidence to support your claim.

To learn whether one of our solicitors could assist with your claim, you can contact an advisor. They could answer any questions you might have about your case and check your eligibility to claim.

Calculating Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On Email Data Breach Claims

Working out an average compensation amount for a successful data breach claim is impossible. As each claim has its own unique aspects. Instead, you can use the table below to work out which compensation category you might fall into.

We used the guidelines that are produced by the Judicial College to make this table (only the top figure is not from the JCG). Please refer this table as guidance only. Another option, is to try using our online compensation calculator to get a rough estimate of the value of your claim.

If you win your failure to use BBC on email data breach claim, you will be able to seek damages for two main reasons. The first is for monetary loss (material damages). This could be money you lost because of your data being exploited in some way. Or it could be money you had to pay out as a direct cost during the claims process. For example, telephone charges, postage or photocopying.

The second is for mental harm caused by trauma and stress (non-material damages). You don’t have to have suffered a financial loss to claim for non-material damages though. The Court of Appeal heard a case back in 2015, Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc, that set a precedent. The claimants were successful and won compensation for mental harm, but had not incurred any monetary loss. Because of this precedent, you can potentially do the same.

No Win No Fee Failure To Use Blind Carbon Copy On Email Data Breach Claims

Our team are here to help if you have a valid case and are ready to start your BCC data breach claim. Our expert personal data breach solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, by offering their clients a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under a CFA, you typically don’t need to pay your solicitor any upfront fees for their work on your claim, nor are you required to pay for their services while the claim is progressing or if it fails.

If your personal data breach compensation claim succeeds, your solicitor will take a success fee. They take this as a small, legally capped portion of your compensation. This legal cap helps to make sure that the majority share of what you receive stays with you.

Contact Our Team

Get in touch with our team today to start your personal data breach compensation claim. Our advisors can answer any questions you may have about the claims process and can provide a free consultation. If they find your BCC data breach claim to be a strong case, they may then connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.

To get started:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Use the live chat feature.
• Contact us online.

Learn More

Here are some useful external links.

• Understanding Secure Email
• Email Marketing Guidelines From The ICO
• Guidance On AI And Data Protection
• Here are some links to more of our data breach guides.
• Employer Data Breach Claims
• Claiming For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• How To Claim For A Social Services Data Breach

Guide By Wheeler

Edited By Goldasz

In this guide, we’ll look at the process of making a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim for compensation. When an organisation holds or processes your personal data, they have to adhere to the laws that exist to protect it.

Lost or stolen paperwork data breach claims guide.

In 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced. This is a piece of legislation that dictates how organisations should act to protect your personal data. This was ratified into UK law with the Data Protection Act 2018, which now sits alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). This is the regime we now refer to in the UK in relation to data protection.

This guide outlines how a breach of the UK GDPR by an organisation could result in paperwork containing your personal data being lost or stolen. We cover when and why you could seek compensation, and we provide an idea of the level of compensation you could receive.

For help claiming for a data breach, our experts can assess your case on a no-obligation basis. Additionally, you will receive advice on how to file a claim. We will connect you with a specialist solicitor if your data breach claim is strong enough. Your claim could be taken on by them on a No Win No Fee basis if the case is viable.

Call us now to find out if you can begin a claim today. You can reach an adviser by calling Legal Expert on 0800 073 8804. If you prefer to continue reading our guide, please click on the sections that follow.

Select A Section

• A Guide About Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims
• 2021 / 2022 Data Security Trends
• What Is A Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claim?
• What Types Of Paper Work Could Be Stolen Or Lost?
• How Could Human Error Cause The Loss Or Theft Of Paperwork?
• What Type Of Information Could Be Exposed In A Data Breach?
• How Minimise The Risk Of Data Being Lost Or Stolen
• How To Sue For Information Security Breaches
• What Damages Could Be Awarded If Your Data Is Stolen?
• Calculate Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims
• No Win No Fee Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims
• Get In Touch About Your Case
• Learn More About Data Privacy

A Guide About Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims

The UK GDPR outlines the way organisations can use personal data. Personal data is classed as any data that can be used, either on its own or when combined with other data, to identify you. Furthermore, personal data can be stored online or digitally- the UK GDPR protects both.

In order for you to be able to claim, you need to show that the data breach caused you harm. You also need to show that the organisation did not do enough to protect your personal data.

If the organisation in charge of your data (the data controller) did all it could to keep your data secure, then you would not be able to claim. For example, if the paperwork was stored in a locked office in a secure filing cabinet, but a thief gained access and stole it despite this, then you may not be able to claim.

Time limits Associated with data breach claims

This guide explains how and when a data breach might occur, how it could cause you harm, and how you might be entitled to compensation. A claim against a private company must be filed within six years of the incident. When a public body is involved, such as a city council, the time limit is shortened to one year. We will also examine the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) role in investigations of data breaches.

With or without an ICO investigation, our solicitors could file a data breach claim on your behalf and may do so on a No Win No Fee basis. Once you’ve read our guide and are ready to start a claim, speak to a specialist for advice.

2021 / 2022 Data Security Trends

The ICO routinely publishes statistics about data breaches every year. There have been 2,431 data breaches for both non-cyber security incidents and cyber security incidents reported to the ICO in the second quarter of the 2021/22 financial year.

From 1st July 2021 to 30th September 2021, data breaches in the following sectors were reported to the ICO at the following rates:

• 313 breaches in education and childcare
• 435 breaches in the health sector
• 209 breaches in real estate or property services
• 251 breaches in the local government sector
• 209 breaches in retail and manufacturing

Non-cyber security incidents reported included:

• A device is lost or stolen that contains personal data.
• Loss or theft of paperwork
• Failure to use blind carbon copy (BCC) when sending an email.
• Disposing of personal data incorrectly

Cyber-security incidents reported include:

• Denial of services (Dos)
• Brute force. This is where a hacker submits a large volume of passwords or passcodes in an attempt to gain access to a system
• Hardware or software failure
• Ransomware
• Malware
• Phishing

Below, we’ve included a graph demonstrating the breaches or attacks that were considered the most disruptive to businesses, relating to attacks they’ve experienced in the last 12 months. This is based on the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021.

What Is A Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claim?

A data breach is defined as a security incident resulting in the loss, destruction, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data. Breaches can happen as the result of a malicious attack on the part of a hacker. However, they can also occur accidentally.

A human error data breach occurs when a mistake is made that leads to personal data being exposed. Things like cyberattacks and data breaches caused by hackers would not be classed as human error breaches; however, if a breach of this nature occurred and you were harmed as a result, you may still be able to claim.

You cannot claim simply on the basis that a data breach has occurred. In order to claim, you need to show that the breach caused you harm. You can claim for financial harm, emotional harm or both.

When a company suffers a data breach, what must they do?

If an organisation becomes aware that a data breach has occurred, threatening the rights and freedoms of data subjects (individuals to whom the data relates), then this must be reported to the ICO within 72 hours. They should also let you know that a breach has occurred without undue delay.

You might be concerned with the way your data is being used but not have been told that a breach has occurred. If this is the case, you can raise your concerns with the organisation in question. The ICO have a template you can use to do this.

To discuss claiming for a data breach, you can get in touch with one of our advisors today. They can assess the validity of your claim and may be able to connect you with a data breach solicitor from our panel.

What Types Of Paper Work Could Be Stolen Or Lost?

There’s a wide range of personal information that organisations hold on us for a number of different reasons. The amount and kind of data that is held on you may vary depending on the organisation in question.

For example, your employer might need to hold data related to your salary, details of any disciplinary measures or your home address and telephone number. On the other hand, your GP surgery will hold your medical records. If you’re under the care of social services, they may store information on your personal circumstances.

Some of the information that could be exposed in a personal data breach might include:

• Council tax information.
• Bank information. This isn’t just restricted to your bank. For instance, your employer will need to hold your bank details in order to pay you.
• Your contact information, for example, an email address.

For more information on whether you could make a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim, why not get in touch with an advisor today? They could assess your claim and connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor.

How Could Human Error Cause The Loss Or Theft Of Paperwork?

Human error data breaches can happen for a number of reasons. There are two different kinds of human error that could lead to a breach. These are skill-based and decision-based errors.

Skill-based errors are ones where there is a lapse or mistake made when performing tasks and activities that the person is familiar with. For example, they may forget to add an email into the “BCC” section of an email, instead putting it in the “CC” bar and exposing the information.

Decision-based errors are ones where a decision is made that is incorrect. For example, they might not have all of the information to make the right decision. Human error can be reduced by things like awareness training.

Errors in physical security

Below are several examples of how errors in physical security could cause a data breach to occur:

• Files containing personal data being left on a desk or reception area instead of locked aware securely
• A file containing personal data is left on public transport in error
• Files containing personal data are disposed of incorrectly. For example, they may need to be shredded but instead are disposed of in the general waste

Call us now to find out how Legal Expert can be of assistance in filing a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim. You will benefit from free legal advice, and if your case is valid, a specialist personal injury solicitor could offer you representation on a No Win No Fee basis.

What Type Of Information Could Be Exposed In A Data Breach?

The sort of personal information that could be exposed in a breach in data security that could entitle you to make a claim could include:

• Name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Telephone numbers
• Credit card details
• Bank details
• Passwords
• IP addresses

Call us now to speak to an experienced adviser. They can tell you if you have grounds to sue for harm caused by a data breach.

How Minimise The Risk Of Data Being Lost Or Stolen

An organisation must set in place security protocols to minimise the risk of data being lost or stolen in a breach. Employees should be trained to handle personal data securely. They should also be trained on what to do if a breach in data security occurs.

If you are the victim of a data breach, you should:

• Change all your passwords and usernames straight away
• Make sure you use a strong password that is at least 8 characters long and contains a mix of upper and lowercase letters, symbols and numbers
• Use different passwords on each website you are linked to
• Keep a close watch on bank accounts and credit reports and flag any unusual activity as soon as you notice it

CS break

How To Sue For Information Security Breaches

If you experience a data breach, you can begin by complaining to the organisation that lost your personal information. Let them know the losses and distress the breach caused you. Please be aware that the organisation may offer you compensation after your initial contact- if you accept this, you cannot then go on to make a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim.

Secondly, you have the option to raise your concerns with the ICO. The Information Commissioner’s Office cannot deal with your claim or award you compensation. However, they can investigate the issue and may be able to fine the organisation if they decide in your favour. You should contact the ICO within three months of your last meaningful contact with the organisation; if you wait any longer, they might decline to investigate.

Thirdly, you can start legal proceedings against the organisation concerned. You don’t need to have a solicitor in order to make a claim; however, you might find the process is smoother and simpler with their advice and guidance.

This is where Legal Expert can help you. We can provide you with a solicitor who offers No Win No Fee agreements if your case is valid.

What Damages Could Be Awarded If Your Data Is Stolen?

You are entitled to seek material damages and non-material damages in a successful lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim. Material damages compensate your monetary loss, whilst non-material damages compensate the mental harm a breach caused you. This could include a claim for stress or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, amongst other things.

Because of a ruling in the Court of Appeal case Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015], claimants can now file for non-material damages even when no monetary losses are incurred. Before this, you would not be able to claim for emotional harm if you did not also experience financial losses.

Call us now to find out if you have good cause to seek compensation for a data breach that caused you to suffer financial loss, mental anguish, or both.

Calculate Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims

A ruling in the case of Gulati vs MGN [2015] means that non-material damages awarded should be in line with personal injury claims and so can be based on the Judicial College Guidelines.

The table below provides you with an idea of the amounts awarded for specific injuries.

For a more accurate estimate, please call us now to find out how much you could receive in a compensation payout.

No Win No Fee Lost Or Stolen Paperwork Data Breach Claims

Many people worry about the cost of hiring a solicitor. Our solicitors provide a No Win No Fee service to claimants with valid cases. This means that you don’t have to worry about paying the solicitor upfront for the services they provide you with. You also don’t need to make them any payments while the claim is ongoing or in the event that it is successful.

If your claim is won, a ‘success fee’ (which is legally capped) is deducted from the compensation payout you receive

To find out whether you qualify to make a No Win No Fee claim for a data breach, please get in touch with a member of our team today using the contact details below.

Get In Touch About Your Case

If you’d like to begin a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim today, call us not to find out how Legal Expert can be of assistance. You can reach an experienced, friendly adviser by:

• Calling our freephone number 0800 073 8804
• Emailing us at [email protected]
• Using our live chat
• Filling out the online claims form

Our lines are open 24/7, seven days a week. Call today to benefit from free legal advice and to find out if you have a valid claim. We provide an initial, no-obligation consultation that is free of charge.

Learn More About Data Privacy

Lawful bases for processing personal data

The role of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

The core principles of data protection law in the UK

A guide to NHS data breaches

Claiming for a Blackbaud data breach 

Nursery data breach claims guide

Thank you for reading our guide on whether you could make a lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim.

Written by Wood

Edited by Stocks

By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 19th March 2025. In this guide, we will explain how to sue the NHS for misdiagnosis. If you can prove that you’ve been mistreated at a hospital or negatively impacted by a misdiagnosis that was caused by negligence, you may be able to claim compensation.

When you seek medical attention, you’re entitled to a minimum standard of care from the healthcare provider treating you. If they fail to provide this, it could cause your condition to worsen. We will look at what the impact of a misdiagnosis can be and the circumstances that could entitle you to claim.

Our advisors offer free legal advice so, if you have any questions or queries, such as wanting to know if you’re eligible to claim for an internal organ injury misdiagnosis, please get in touch. They’re available 24/7 and can put you through to a solicitor in just a few minutes. Contact us today using the details below.

• Call us using 0800 073 8804
• Write to us describing your injury details using [email protected]
• Use our online contact form on our website
• Use the live chat window that you can see on your screen

Furthermore, please read on to learn more about claiming for medical misdiagnosis.

Select A Section

1. Can I Sue The NHS For A Misdiagnosis?
2. What Is Medical Misdiagnosis?
3. What Are The Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions?
4. Causes Of Misdiagnosis In Healthcare
5. How To Sue The NHS For Misdiagnosis And Its Effects
6. How Do I Prove An NHS Misdiagnosis Compensation Claim?
7. How Much Compensation Could I Get For An NHS Misdiagnosis?
8. What Is The Claims Process For Misdiagnosis Cases?
9. How To Sue The NHS For Misdiagnosis With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
10. Resources When Claiming Against The NHS

Can I Sue The NHS For A Misdiagnosis?

You may be wondering whether you could sue the NHS for misdiagnosis. To be eligible to make a medical negligence claim, you will need evidence that proves your case meets the required criteria. This means that you need to prove that you were owed a duty of care by a medical professional and that when this was breached, you suffered avoidable harm.

All medical professionals, whether they work as part of the public or private healthcare sector, owe their patients a duty of care. Per their duty of care, they must ensure that you receive the correct standard of care when they are treating you as their patient. If they breach this duty, you could suffer unnecessary harm and may be able to make a medical negligence claim.

However, there may be certain instances where you receive a misdiagnosis, but a medical professional did not breach their duty of care. In this instance, you might not be eligible to make a medical negligence claim.

If you have any questions about claiming for an NHS misdiagnosis for compensation, get in touch with one of our advisors.

How Long Do I Have To Claim NHS Misdiagnosis Compensation

An important part of suing the NHS for misdiagnosis is making sure that you start your claim within the correct time limit.

Usually, you’ll have three years to start your NHS misdiagnosis compensation claim. This will begin either on the date that the negligence occurred, or the date that you connect the harm you have suffered with negligence. This is called the date of knowledge.

The time limit for these kinds of claims is laid out in the Limitation Act 1980, along with the exceptions to this rule.

For example, those under 18 can’t make their own medical negligence claim, so the time limit doesn’t begin until their eighteenth birthday. A litigation friend can claim on their behalf at any point up until they turn eighteen.

Likewise, those who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim aren’t affected by the time limit. Since they cannot claim for themselves, a litigation friend can make a claim for them at any point, unless they regain the needed capacity. In these cases, the time limit begins on the date that they recover.

To find out if you can sue the NHS for misdiagnosis, get in touch with our helpful team today.

What Is Medical Misdiagnosis? 

A medical misdiagnosis is where you receive a diagnosis that does not accurately reflect the condition you’re actually suffering from. For example, you may be wondering how to sue the NHS for misdiagnosis if your condition has been mistakenly diagnosed as something else, meaning that the treatment you need for your actual condition has been delayed.

All doctors owe their patients a duty of care. This duty of care involves performing their roles to the degree expected of them within the medical profession. You may be able to receive compensation if you can prove that the level of care they provided fell below these standards.

However, it’s important to note that just because you are misdiagnosed by an NHS healthcare provider doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to make a successful claim. This is because complications can arise even when the appropriate level of care is being administered.

As part of a misdiagnosis claim, peers of the medical professional usually review the steps taken in your treatment to determine if they were of an acceptable standard or not. This is referred to as the Bolam Test. If the panel of peers find that the doctor acted outside their duty of care, this could indicate negligence.

What Are The Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions?

Injuries and conditions that could be misdiagnosed include:

• Fractures
• Tendon injuries
• Cancer
• Hip injuries
• Scaphoid injuries

If you could like to know more about claiming compensation for an NHS misdiagnosis, speak to a member of our team today. You can also read on for more information on the kinds of diagnostic errors that could occur.

Causes Of Misdiagnosis In Healthcare

Many factors can cause medical misdiagnosis. For example:

• Misinterpreting a scan or test. For instance, a broken or fractured bone misdiagnosis can be caused by a fracture being missed on an X-ray. If it’s a hairline fracture, these can be difficult to spot.
• Insufficient supervision. Medical professionals may make a mistake because their superiors aren’t available to guide them when diagnosing you. This could particularly be the case with junior doctors and nurses.
• GP negligence. A GP may not pay full attention to you when you’re explaining your condition, which could lead to a misdiagnosis.
• A lack of expertise. Simply put, the doctor or medical professional may not have the training or experience required to diagnose you correctly.
• Incorrect tests. The wrong tests may be ordered, leading to the wrong diagnosis.
• Inaction on behalf of medical professionals. They may not have taken a sufficient medical history to be able to diagnose you correctly.

As we have already mentioned, just because your condition was misdiagnosed does not mean that you are the victim of medical negligence. Some of these causes of misdiagnosis are in direct contrast with the duties of a doctor as outlined by the General Medical Council (GMC), like not listening to the patient’s concerns.

However, some of these might occur even if the right level of care is administered.  For instance, your doctor might order the wrong test because you were not exhibiting symptoms typical of your condition.

If you would like to know more about whether you could claim for the harm caused by negligent misdiagnosis, speak to us today.

How Do I Prove An NHS Misdiagnosis Compensation Claim?

Having examined the eligibility criteria to begin an NHS misdiagnosis claim and how such a misdiagnosis could occur, this section looks at what evidence can be used to prove the avoidable harm you suffered was the result of a misdiagnosis.

Possible evidence you could gather can include:

• Medical records: such as the results of tests, copies of scans and any notes from physical examinations. Make sure you have copies of records from both the initial misdiagnosis and the subsequent correct diagnosis, as well as details of any treatments that you had.
• You can also keep a diary during your treatment, making particular reference to your symptoms and mental state.
• If someone attended appointments with you, they could give a witness statement regarding the treatment you received. Make sure you have their up to date contact information so their statement can be taken during the claims process.

To find out more about what evidence you could use to support your claim, or for further guidance on how to sue the NHS for misdiagnosis, get in touch with our advisory team today using the contact information given below.

How Much Compensation Could I Get For An NHS Misdiagnosis?

The amount of NHS misdiagnosis compensation you could potentially receive can depend on a range of things. For example, these might include:

• How much evidence you have
• How severely you were harmed
• Whether or not you suffered financial losses

Because of this, we can’t tell you exactly how much you could receive if your claim against the NHS for a misdiagnosis succeeds. However, we can talk a bit more about how your compensation is calculated.

Generally, the compensation you receive is split into two heads. The first, general damages, is awarded in every successful claim. Under this heading, you can get compensation for the physical and mental harm caused by the misdiagnosis.

When professionals calculate this heading, they can use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help. This document provides guideline compensation brackets for different injuries and illnesses. You can find some examples of these that could be relevant to misdiagnosis in the table below.

Keep in mind that these are only guidelines and not guaranteed amounts. The first entry in this table has not been taken from the JCG.

The second head of claim that you could be entitled to is special damages. Under this heading, you can recoup the financial losses caused by the misdiagnosis. For example, special damages can help cover the cost of:

• Childcare
• Travel
• Prescriptions
• Private medical treatment
• Mobility aids
• Home adjustments
• Professional care

These are only a few examples of the kinds of costs that could be covered by special damages. To learn more, get in touch with our team today.

What Is The Claims Process For Misdiagnosis Cases?

When suing the NHS for misdiagnosis, your claim will follow the Pre-Action Protocol for the Resolution of Clinical Disputes. This sets out the steps that the claim will need to follow before it can be heard in court. 

We have set out the steps here:

1. Obtaining health records: in order to make a clinical negligence claim, you need to get copies of your medical records as evidence. All you need to do is contact your provider.
2. Rehabilitation: all parties should consider whether the claimant requires rehabilitation or other treatment.
3. Letter of notification: this letter is sent to the defendant indicating that a claim may be started. The defendant should acknowledge receipt of this within 14 days and begin their own investigations into the matter.
4. Letter of Claim: the formal commencement of the claim itself, clearly setting out the facts the claim is being made upon, the allegation and what harm was caused. 
5. Letter of Response: The defendant should acknowledge the letter of claim and, within 4 months, send a Letter of Response clearly stating whether they admit the claim or dispute it, whether in whole or in part.
6. Experts: all parties may instruct experts to provide their opinion on the dispute and help inform a decision.
7. Alternative Dispute Resolution: also known as ADR, this is where the representatives of the claimant and defendant meet and try to resolve the dispute without going to trial.

If no resolution is reached, then the matter will go to trial. To ask any questions you have about how to sue the NHS for misdiagnosis, contact our team today using the details provided below.

How To Sue The NHS For Misdiagnosis With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

If you’re interested in making an NHS misdiagnosis claim, our solicitors may be able to help, provided that you have an eligible case. While there is no legal obligation to claim NHS misdiagnosis compensation with a legal professional, we always recommend seeking expert legal advice.

With a solicitor, the misdiagnosis claims process can seem much easier and less stressful. Plus, our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, offering their services through a kind of contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Under this kind of agreement, they can offer their services without charging you an upfront or an ongoing fee. In fact, you don’t need to pay for their work at all unless the claim succeeds. In this case, your solicitor will deduct a success fee from your compensation.

Contact Us

If you’d like to find out how one of our expert medical negligence solicitors could help you, contact our team of expert advisors. They can answer any questions you might have about making a claim, like “Can I sue the NHS for misdiagnosis?” and “How much NHS misdiagnosis compensation could I receive?” through a free consultation.

To get started:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Use our claim online form
• Use the live chat on your screen now

Resources When Claiming Against The NHS

To know more about medical negligence claims, please use the links below.

• Never events are medical incidents that should never occur if all the proper procedures are followed. To learn more about them, visit this webpage.
• If you would like to claim for harm caused by GP negligence, this guide could help.
• To learn more about the time limits for suing the NHS, visit this page.
• Want to know more about the different types of medical negligence claims? If so, visit our webpage.

Other Claims We Could Help You With

• Compensation For A Wrongful Death Claim
• Birth Injury Claims
• Wrong-site Surgery Compensation Claims
• Armed Forces Medical Negligence Claims
• Midwife Diagnosis Claims

For more advice on how to sue the NHS for misdiagnosis, compensation payouts, and making a claim, please get in touch.

Last Updated On 17th July 2025. If you’re looking for information on multiple injury claims for compensation, this guide can help. A single injury can be distressing enough, but if you suffered more than one because of a liable party’s actions or inactions, you could be owed compensation from those at fault.

Key Takeaways

• Compensation can be awarded for each type of injury, as well as the financial impacts.
• You’re owed a duty of care in certain areas of life, which, if breached, can mean the responsible party is liable to compensate you.
• Evidence that is often quite straightforward to pull together can strengthen a compensation claim’s chance of success.
• There is a standard personal injury claim time limit of three years in which to start your case, although exceptions can apply.
• Our solicitors offer eligible claimants a way to fund their claim through a No Win No Fee agreement.

You’ll find lots of useful information in this guide about making personal injury claims, so please continue reading. Or, our dedicated advisory team can offer a free case assessment now if you get in touch:

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Contact us online.
• Use our live discussion window below to start the conversation.

Jump To A Section 

1. What Is A Multiple Injury Claim?
2. Can I Be Compensated For Multiple Injuries?
3. Most Common Causes Of Multiple Injuries
4. Are Multiple Injury Claims More Complex?
5. How Much Compensation Could You Get For Multiple Injury Claims?
6. Evidence That Can Support Claims for Multiple Injuries
7. Time Limits For Multiple Injury Claims
8. How Long Do Multiple Injury Claims Take?
9. How To Start A Multiple Injury Claim
10. Why Make A Claim With Us?
11. Learn More

What Is A Multiple Injury Claim?

The term, ‘multiple injury’ refers to more than one type of physical or emotional harm. A multiple injury claim is a legal action made for all varieties of harm caused by the same accident.

As you read the guide, you’ll get a clearer idea of how multiple injuries are assessed and valued. This gives an overall idea of what potential compensation might apply in multiple injury claims.

Can I Be Compensated For Multiple Injuries?

Three criteria need to be demonstrated in order to have a valid personal injury claim for multiple injuries:

• You were protected by a duty of care (a legal obligation for a liable party to maintain certain standards or avoid actions/inactions that can cause foreseeable injuries).
• They breached this duty.
• As a result, you suffered multiple injuries in the same accident.

These three points can be used to define negligence. If all three are in place, you could have a valid argument to seek compensation for your injuries. If you’d like to discuss your eligibility in detail, you can call our team. We also explain the duty of care in place in certain real-life situations in the next section.

Most Common Causes Of Multiple Injuries

We explore three main areas where a duty of care applies and give examples of how a breach could give rise to a multiple injury claim:

Multiple Injuries Caused By Road Traffic Accidents

In Great Britain, all road users need to practice care and diligence to avoid harming themselves and others. To comply fully with this duty of care to each other, they must adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and further obligations detailed in the Highway Code. Some breach of duty examples:

• A drunk driver causes a multi-car collision and several other road users suffer multiple cuts, fractures and soft tissue injuries.
• A speeding motorist rear-ends another driver, causing them multiple neck and spine injuries.

Accidents At Work That Cause Multiple Injuries

The duty of care in the workplace is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This law outlines how employers need to take practicable and reasonable steps to reduce or remove the risk of harm to employees as they work. In this scenario, multiple injury claims could arise when:

• An employer fails to ensure that ladders or scaffolding equipment is safe to use, and it collapses, causing an employee to suffer multiple damage to their back, head and pelvis.
• Essential personal protective equipment (PPE) is the wrong size for an employee and they suffer burns, cuts and scarring to their hands and arms trying to perform a work task.

Public Place Accidents That Led To Multiple Injuries

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 requires those in control of spaces open to the general public to implement whatever steps are practicable to prevent visitors from being harmed. Failure to take these steps could result in multiple injury claims arising in the following ways:

• A missing tile in a cinema lobby is not repaired or replaced, despite the management being aware of the problem. A customer trips on this and falls down a flight of stairs, suffering neck, wrist and shoulder damage.
• An unattended spillage in a supermarket is left without warning signs. A shopper slips in the wet area and sustains multiple injuries to their hand, ankle and back in the fall.

Your accident may differ but the basic principle remains the same. If you feel that you only suffered multiple injuries because of the actions or inactions of a liable party, talk to our team about launching a compensation claim for personal injury today.

Are Multiple Injury Claims More Complex?

Multiple injury claims can be more complex because each individual injury needs to be considered. Because there are injuries in various parts of the body, it may be necessary to consult more than one expert for a medical opinion.

Furthermore, each injury might require different treatment and involve differing recovery plans, all of which can impact the way multiple injury claims are calculated. In addition to this, other factors can affect the claim, such as whether the other side disputes their fault and whether the case actually needs to go all the way to court.

If they can accept the claim, our solicitors will coordinate with medical experts on your behalf to ensure that your claim is organised, thorough and handled promptly. If you’re interested in seeing how our solicitors could take care of everything for you, call our advisory team.

How Much Compensation Could You Get For Multiple Injury Claims?

As every successful personal injury claim will be settled based on its own merits, we can’t tell you exactly how much compensation you could be awarded within this guide. However, we can take a look at how those involved in calculating your compensation could apply a value to it. Alternatively, if you would like a more individualised claim valuation, speak to a member of our advisory team.

Multiple injury claim award amounts can be divided into general and special damages. General damages consider the following:

• The physical injuries and pain.
• Any psychological suffering.
• Long-term or permanent disability.
• The overall impact on the person’s life (loss of amenity).

The second head of claim, called special damages, reimburses you for out-of-pocket expenses related to suffering multiple injuries (more on this shortly).

To apply a value to your injuries, those involved in calculating general damages are guided by the medical reports put forward. In addition, they often consult publications like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).

This document has award bracket guidelines for a wide cross-section of injuries in order of severity. Every personal injury claim has factors that make it unique, so these sums are intended to be purely guidelines. We’ve put together a table below to illustrate, however, the first entry is not taken from the JCG:

Can I Claim For Financial Losses As Part Of A Multiple Injury Claim?

Yes. Under special damages, a claim for the financial repercussions of suffering multiple injuries may apply. To have this head of loss included as part of your claim, you will need documented evidence of the financial harm, such as:

• Proof of additional private medical costs.
• Wage slips showing a loss of earnings caused by the injuries.
• Receipts for amounts paid to anyone who needed to help you domestically.
• Tickets and receipts for travel costs.
• The invoices, statements or receipts for work carried out at home to deal with a permanent disability.

Documented proof can strengthen a claim and potentially boost the amount of compensation you might receive. If you’d like professional advice on general and special damages, call our advisors to see if our solicitors can help.

Evidence That Can Support Claims for Multiple Injuries

Evidence is a vital part of the personal injury claims process. Therefore, you need to gather proof that those responsible breached their duty of care and that this was the root cause of your multiple injuries. The following is often useful:

• CCTV camera evidence.
• Dashcam or helmet cam footage that caught the incident.
• The points of contact for eyewitnesses who are prepared to give supporting statements to a solicitor at a later date (if you appoint one).
• Duplicates of medical records, A&E admission details or specialists’ reports.
• Photos of the injuries and whatever hazard caused them.

Our solicitors could help compile evidence for your multiple injury claim. Their expert analysis might mean you are awarded more in a successful injury claim. Call, email or use the live chat window below to learn more about evidence for multiple injury claims.

Time Limits For Multiple Injury Claims

The Limitation Act 1980 states that a personal injury claim must start within three years of the accident. This may differ for certain injured parties:

• Minors are unable to launch a claim themselves until they become 18 years of age. They then have three years from this date to launch an action.
• Claimants lacking sufficient mental capacity are not bound by a time limit unless their mental capacity returns. They are then allocated three years from this date of recovery to start their claim.
• Alternatively, a claim can be initiated at any point for these two groups by a litigation friend. This is usually a family member or other concerned adult who is designated by the courts to start a claim on the person’s behalf.

Our advisors are happy to explain time limits and the role of a litigation friend in more detail if you get in touch.

How Long Do Multiple Injury Claims Take?

Multiple injury claims are usually settled within a few months or years. There is no fixed timeline since every personal claim is unique. However, there are certain factors which could affect how long it takes, such as:

• Claim complexity: In cases of multiple injuries, it may take time to determine the number and severity of injuries. This could increase the time it takes to collect evidence and calculate compensation.
• Evidence: if you already have strong evidence, it won’t take much time to establish the other party’s liability. However, if you need to start the process of collecting evidence, it could take more time.
• Liability: If the opposite party accepts liability, you may take their offer or at least start the process of negotiating your compensation. However, if they refuse, you may have to collect more evidence to strengthen your claim.
• Negotiations: If you aren’t satisfied with what the other party is offering, this could lead to a series of time-consuming negotiations, which may or may not lead to a consensus.
• Litigation: If you are unable to arrive at a settlement with the other party, you may have to go to court for compensation. This could lead to a lengthy processing time.

If you choose to make your claim with us, our solicitor will provide you with a rough timeline in the beginning. Even if your claim goes to court, your solicitor will handle the major part of the procedure and will try their best to ensure minimal strain on you. This is to ensure that you get enough time and space to recover from your injuries. Contact us now to learn about the potential timeframe for your claim.

How To Start A Multiple Injury Claim

Once you feel satisfied that your multiple injury claim meets the eligibility criteria and time limit requirements, you might want to use the services of a solicitor. You are not legally obliged to start your claim with a lawyer, but it could give it a much stronger chance of success to consult a professional.

Having the support of an experienced solicitor could help the claim run smoothly and ensure that you achieve a more accurate settlement that reflects all of your damages than if you had managed the claims process on your own.

You can get in touch with a member of our advisory team for your free consultation. They’ll discuss the accident that caused you to sustain multiple injuries. From here, they’ll assess whether you have good grounds to launch a claim. If you do and you would like to move ahead with our services, they can connect you to one of our expert solicitors with experience handling multiple injury claims. Our solicitors provide their services on a No Win No Fee basis.

Please get in touch today to find out if one of our solicitors could help guide you through the personal injury claims process.

Why Make A Claim With Us?

At Legal Expert, our solicitors have decades of expertise helping people just like you get the compensation they’re owed after injury. They offer an array of excellent legal support services.

• They can help to gather essential evidence like witness statements and medical reports.
• They’ll take care of all communication with the other party.
• Meet court deadlines for paperwork or evidence.
• Explain any complex legal terminology in easy to understand ways.
• Our personal injury solicitors will calculate compensation that takes into account all your pain and suffering, as well as current or future medical expenses.

What Is A Conditional Fee Agreement?

In addition to this, our solicitors are able to offer these outstanding services in a way that doesn’t add to your financial burden right now. By using a type of No Win No Fee contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) you could benefit from the following:

• Upfront solicitors’ fees don’t apply to get started.
• No solicitors’ fees apply as the claim develops.
• You owe nothing for completed work if the multiple injury claim fails.
• A nominal percentage is deducted from the compensation if the claim is a success.
• This success fee is paid to the solicitors, but you can agree on the amount before working together.
• As extra protection, a legal limit restricts the success fee percentage and ensures you receive almost all of the compensation awarded to you.

Not all law firms provide CFA’s as an option for people to fund their personal injury claim. So if you’d like to find out whether your claim qualifies, start by speaking with our advisory team:

• Contact us online.
• Call 0800 073 8804
• Use our live discussion window below to see if you can claim compensation for more than one injury.

Learn More

In addition to multiple injury claims, these articles provide further reading:

• Information on a serious injury claims.
• A serious road accident case study and the process of claiming are discussed here.
• Claims for personal injury on private property are explained here.

Also, external help:

• This resource looks at major trauma after multiple serious injuries.
• Advice on when to call 999 here.
• Lastly, check your symptoms here.

We value your interest in our guide about multiple injury claims. Please get in touch for any further assistance.

By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 8th April 2025. You may have heard of success fees in personal injury claims and wondered what they are, especially if you’re thinking of making a claim yourself. Our detailed guide answers the main questions about these fees, including:

• What is a success fee?
• How are things like lost earnings accounted for?
• What fees do I pay if the claim isn’t successful?

Our expert personal injury solicitors work under a Conditional Fee Agreement, which involves the client paying a success fee to account for the solicitor’s work in helping them win the case. However, this fee only applies if the case wins. This guide also discusses the arrangement and how making a No Win No Fee claim minimises the number of times you need to pay a fee.

You can learn all you need to know about claiming, including your own chances of seeking compensation for a personal injury, by using our free support service. An advisor is ready to talk to you now, so just try any of these routes:

• Calling our helpline on 0800 073 8804.
• Using our contact page to request a call.
• Starting a live chat conversation now through the button in the corner of your screen.

Select A Section

1. What Are Success Fees In Personal Injury Claims?
2. Changes To Success Fees From 2012
3. Could I Make A Personal Injury Claim?
4. Examples Of Personal Injury Compensation Payouts
5. Make A No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claim
6. Learn More About Success Fees In Personal Injury Claims

Here’s our quick explainer video on what is a success fee and how it is calculated:

What Are Success Fees In Personal Injury Claims?

So, what is a success fee exactly?

Solicitors who operate on a No Win No Fee basis will take a percentage of your compensation package if they win your claim. This is known as a success fee and pays your solicitor for the time they’ve spent working on your case.

Under a No Win No Fee agreement, the success fee is taken as a percentage of your compensation, regardless of the settlement figure you receive. However, as per the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, the fee is legally capped at 25%.

This does not mean that a solicitor will always take 25% of your compensation; it means that they can take an amount up to this level. The amount deducted can depend upon the work completed on your case.

Which Cases Do Success Fees Apply To?

No Win No Agreements can be offered in several types of claims, including claims for:

• Road traffic accidents
• Accidents at work
• Accidents in public places such as a restaurant or a park

If you are interested in making a claim and want to learn more about success fees in personal injury claims, then please reach out to one of our advisers.

Changes To Success Fees From 2012

While the defendant still covers other legal costs when a personal injury claim is successful, the costs of success fees in personal injury claims and after-the-event (ATE) insurance were no longer covered by the defendant from 1st April 2013, as per the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Instead, success fees and ATE insurance is covered by the claimant.

Here are the definitions of success fees and ATE insurance.

1. Success fees are a small percentage of the compensation that personal injury solicitors can take when a claim is successful. It’s important to note that this percentage is legally capped.
2. ATE insurance is a type of legal expenses insurance policy that covers claimants for the defendant’s legal costs when a personal injury claim is unsuccessful. 

If you are eligible to connect with one of our personal injury solicitors, both of these things will be explained to you in more detail before the claims process begins. You will also be given more information about how the personal injury claims process works and if there are any risks involved with taking on your case.

To learn more about “What is a success fee?” and whether you’re eligible to begin a personal injury claim, you can call us for free today.

Could I Make A Personal Injury Claim?

Before worrying about success fees in personal injury claims, first you need to establish whether or not you have a valid case. In order to make a valid personal injury claim, you have to be able to prove that:

• You were owed a duty of care.
• This duty was breached.
• As a result, you suffered injuries.

If someone owes you a duty of care, this means that they are responsible for your health and safety. Some examples of when you could be owed a duty of care include:

• At work: When you are working, you’re owed a duty of care by your employer. They have to take steps to keep you safe under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).
• In public: The controller of a public space owes you a duty of care, which means they need to ensure your reasonable safety if you’re using the space for its intended purposes. This is set out by the Occupiers’ Liability Act (1957).
• On the road: While you are on the road, other road users owe you a duty of care to act in a way that prevents harm or damage to themselves and others. All road users are expected to follow the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act 1988 to uphold this duty.

If you’d like to know if a personal injury solicitor could help you with your claim, contact our team today. They can offer more information on legal costs, success fees, and working under a No Win No Fee agreement.

What Is The Time Limit For A Personal Injury Claim?

Now that we’ve discussed what a success fee is in a personal injury claim, you might be wondering, ‘what is the time limit for claiming for a personal injury?’. Usually, you have three years from the date you were injured to bring forward a claim.

However, there are times when the limitation period may be suspended, as stated in the Limitation Act 1980. For example:

• If a minor is hurt in an accident, the time limit is suspended until their 18th birthday. They then have until their 21st birthday to take action if a claim has not been started on their behalf.
• Should a person lack the mental capacity to make a claim by themselves, the time limit is suspended indefinitely and would only ever begin if they gain the mental capacity that is required to start a claim.

The court can appoint a litigation friend to take action on behalf of someone who is mentally unsound or is a minor, but only on the condition they can be trusted to make competent and fair decisions.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our advisors if you have any further questions about the time limit or success fees. They could connect you with our experienced No Win No Fee solicitors if you seek legal help.

Examples Of Personal Injury Compensation Payouts

Compensation is often comprised of general and special damages. General damages are the compensation you may receive for any physical or psychological injuries.

In order to accurately value your injuries, consideration will be given to the severity of the harm you’ve suffered and the likelihood of your injuries having a long-term impact.

For that reason, medical evidence will be required to understand the extent of your condition.  For instance, medical reports outlining any treatment or diagnosis you received.

Furthermore, you may be asked to attend an independent medical assessment to provide an additional report. The report can help to show the current state of your condition. Additionally, the report can provide details on the long-term impact your injuries may have had.

Alongside the above medical evidence, a document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) may also be used to value your claim. We have created the table below using figures from the JCG. This can provide examples of the compensation you could claim for different types of injuries.

Please note that the first entry of this table has not been taken from the JCG.

However, please call our team if your injury isn’t listed or you have any questions about how compensation may be calculated and what success fee could apply.

What Else Can You Claim For?

In addition, you can seek compensation for any financial losses under special damages. For instance, if you were unable to work for a few months due to your injury. In this instance, you could be compensated for any loss of earnings during this period of time.

Furthermore, other types of special damages might include:

• Care costs for yourself or someone else you care for, e.g. a child, sibling or elderly parent
• Medical expenses, e.g. counselling, medication or physical aids such as walking sticks
• Travel expenses, e.g. taxis or public transport to and from hospital appointments

However, it’s important to note that you will need to provide evidence that these losses occurred. For instance, evidence in the form of receipts, invoices or pay slips which may be requested to support your claim.

For more information on other financial losses you may be able to seek compensation for, speak to a member of our team.

Do Success Fees Apply To Future Loss Of Earnings?

The success fee in a personal injury claim does not apply to future loss of earnings.

A future loss of earnings might be claimed for when your earning capacity is likely to be negatively affected for the rest of your life as a result of your injury.

In order to calculate this loss, personal injury solicitors use evidence to determine how you will not earn the same in future as you would have done without being injured.

As with proving any type of financial loss, you will need to provide evidence to help your solicitors work out your future losses. For example, a pay slip and bank statement can be used to prove a future loss of earnings.

If you have any questions about success fees, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our advisors work around the clock and are available to answer any questions free of charge.

Furthermore, you could be connected to our solicitors on the basis of a No Win No Fee.

Make A No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claim

Now that you know more about success fees in personal injury claims, you might be interested in getting help with the claims process from one of our expert personal injury solicitors. By offering their clients a Conditional Fee Agreement, as we discussed earlier in this guide, they work on a No Win No Fee basis.

One of the benefits of working with a personal injury solicitor under a No Win No Fee agreement is that you generally don’t need to pay them an upfront fee to start working on the case. Likewise, if your personal injury claim fails, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for their work. If you succeed in making a compensation claim, then your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation, as we discussed earlier.

Contact Our Team

Working with personal injury solicitors can come with many benefits. Contact one of our advisors today to learn more about these benefits, or to find out if you could be eligible to claim compensation. They can also give you more information on success fees in personal injury claims.

To get started:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us online
• Use the live chat feature

Learn More About Success Fees In Personal Injury Claims

If you’d like to learn more about success fees in personal injury claims, we’ve included some helpful guides below:

• See the government guide on claiming compensation after an accident.
• Visit the NHS website if you require any medical advice.
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) has useful information on preventing accidents.

We have lots more guides on which you can browse below: 

• • Activity centre injuries – how to claim compensation
  • Missing tile accident claims
  • How many claims go to court?
  • CCTV footage in personal injury cases
  • Claiming compensation for injuries caused by faulty furniture
  • How to claim against your employer
  • Compensation tables for personal injury
  • Try our injury claims calculator
  • Multi-story car park accident claims
  • The Pre-Action Protocols in personal injury

Thank you for reading our guide on the success fees in personal injury claims. We hope you found it informative. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Last Updated 18th March 2025. Have you suffered an injury in a construction site accident? Did someone else’s negligence contribute to the accident? If so, you may be able to put forward a personal injury claim for compensation. Our guide will explore the steps you can take and the rights you have following an accident.

There are various circumstances in which you could have suffered an injury on site. For instance, you may have been injured while visiting your premises or even while attending another company’s.

If someone owed you a duty of care and you suffered harm as a result of someone breaching this duty, you could put forward a claim for compensation accounting for the impact of your injuries.

Please continue reading for more information. If you have any questions, you can contact our advisors using the details below.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804.
• Contact us using our online form.
• Use the live chat feature to get instant help.

Select A Section

1. What Is A Construction Site Accident?
2. Who Is Liable For Health And Safety On A Building Site?
3. Causes Of Construction Site Accidents
4. What To Do After An Accident On A Building Site
5. How Long Do I Have To Make A Construction Site Injury Claim?
6. What Evidence Do I Need To Support My Construction Site Accident Claim?
7. Construction Site Accident Compensation Payouts
8. Construction Site Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

What Is A Construction Site Accident?

A construction site accident can involve construction workers suffering harm due to poor health and safety. However, it’s important to note that not every accident is someone else’s fault. For that reason, the claim you hold must be valid before moving forward.

A claim may be valid if you can prove that someone acted negligently. For instance, you suffered harm after someone breached a duty of care. Continue reading for more details on what the duty of care means.

If you were harmed in a construction accident, get in touch with our advisors. They can assess whether negligence occurred. Furthermore, if they feel you have a claim, you could begin seeking compensation for your pain and suffering.

Who Is Liable For Health And Safety On A Building Site?

Determining who is liable for an accident can depend on how it happened. For instance, if you’re employed to work on the construction site, your employer is responsible for keeping you safe from harm.

As per The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), they have a duty of care to do everything reasonably possible to prevent you from coming into physical or psychological harm. For instance:

• Providing breaks in between shifts.
• Providing relevant safety equipment, such as ear and eye protection, a hard hat to prevent head injury, protective shoes, or masks.
• Carrying out regular risk assessments to stay on top of any potential risks.
• Providing adequate training to ensure you are capable of doing your job properly and safely.

If they had provided a duty of care, the accident could have been avoided, and they may be liable for your construction site accident.

Different parties often manage construction site jobs, so your employer does not always assume the duty of care. For example, the site’s main contractor or manager might be responsible if site safety measures were not carried out.

You can claim against your employer or another party if you can show that:

• They owed you a duty of care.
• This duty of care was breached.
• You suffered physical and/or mental harm.

If you’re unsure whether you can claim for a building site accident or who the claim would be against, please call us today for free advice.

Can I Still Make A Claim If I Contributed To My Construction Site Accident?

Not all construction accident claims will be clear-cut. If you were partly at fault for your accident on a construction site, you may still be eligible to make a claim. In these situations, you could pursue a contributory negligence claim that reflects the part you played in your injuries.

As an example, you could have partly contributed to your injuries in a construction site accident by working with tools that you knew to be defective. In that scenario, your employer would still have breached the duty of care they owed to you by failing to repair or replace these tools. deal with the hazard.

In this type of claim, compensation is calculated as a percentage of how negligent someone was for their injuries. No matter how contributory negligence claims are split, it will always add up to 100. For instance, you could see the following outcomes in your claim:

• If you are deemed 20% liable for your injuries, you will receive 80% of the total compensation had you not been.
• Equally shared liability would mean that your compensation is reduced by half.
• If you are deemed 75% liable for your injuries, you will receive 25% of the total compensation had you not been.

Do you have questions about contributory negligence and how it can affect your construction accident compensation? You can reach out to one of our friendly advisors for 24/7 free legal advice.

Causes Of Construction Site Accidents

Construction accidents are not uncommon and can occur in various ways. However, not all of them are negligent. These examples highlight ways in which someone else could be liable for an accident on a construction site.

• Site workers are required to work with caustic acid to clean concrete structures but are not given protective eye goggles. The acid spills from a container onto a worker standing below, causing them to lose vision in both eyes and suffer chemical burn injuries to their face.
• An employer does not give adequate training to their employees on manual handling. One worker suffers a moderate back injury from lifting materials that were too heavy for them.
• The site manager does not provide safety guards for employees working from height. One person suffers a broken arm and a serious brain injury when they fall and hit their head.
• An employer provided a worker with faulty equipment, leading to them requiring an amputation due to a serious injury.

Many different injuries could result from a workplace accident. If you suffered injuries in an accident caused by a third party’s inability to keep the site safe, you might be able to claim compensation. Just call today to learn more.

What To Do After An Accident On A Building Site

After a construction site accident, you might be unsure of what to do or what steps to take.

Seeking medical attention will help you get the treatment and care that you need. It also creates a permanent record of your injuries and how severe they are, which can later be used as evidence if you choose to make a construction site accident claim.

After this, you can fill in the accident book. Any workplace or job site with ten or more employees is legally required to have an accident book, and you can fill this in yourself or ask a trusted colleague to do it for you. Filling in the accident book can help prevent a building site accident from occurring in the future, but entries can also be used as evidence in construction accident claims.

Finally, we recommend that you seek legal advice. Talking to a solicitor after a building site accident can help you determine whether you can claim and calm your fears about your next steps. Contact our team today to find out if you could make a building site accident claim.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Construction Site Injury Claim?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you typically have three years after a construction site accident to bring forward a claim. There are circumstances where this limitation period can be suspended:

• The time limit for minors is paused until their 18th birthday. They would have until their 21st birthday to take action unless a litigation friend starts a claim on their behalf.
• The time limit is indefinitely held if the claimant lacks the mental capacity to bring a claim. Suppose they ever regain the mental capacity required to start a claim. In that case, the three-year limitation period begins from the date of recovery, unless a litigation friend has made a claim on their behalf.

If you are unsure what time limit applies to your case, contact us at any time. Our advisors can clarify the limitation on any construction accident claims free of charge and discuss how to become a litigation friend for someone else.

What Evidence Do I Need To Support My Construction Accident Claim?

Evidence is important not only in proving that an accident happened but also in establishing liability and laying bare the extent of your injuries. Some proof you could collect includes:

• CCTV footage.
• Photographs of the accident scene.
• The site’s accident book.
• Witness contact information.
• Medical records detailing your injuries and treatment.
• Payslips, invoices and other documents that prove financial loss. This is vital if you wish to claim special damages compensation.

As well as being able to help you gather evidence, a solicitor can help arrange an examination by an independent healthcare professional to provide further medical evidence.

To learn more about how you can instruct a solicitor to handle key elements of your claim for an accident on a building site, call our team today.

Construction Site Accident Compensation Payouts

Compensation is often divided into two categories: general and special damages. General damages cover the compensation you may receive for your physical or psychological injuries.

When calculating damages for your injury, there will be consideration given to the impact it’s had on your quality of life. Additionally, whether your injuries have had a long-term impact will also be observed.

As each injury is unique, it’s difficult to provide an average compensation settlement figure. However, we have created a compensation table below, which gives examples of how different injuries may be valued.

The figures in the table come from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), a document often used to help value claims. However, other evidence is often used alongside the JCG, so it’s advisable to use the figures only as a guide.

What Are Special Damages?

In addition to seeking compensation for your injuries, you are entitled to seek reimbursement of any financial losses incurred due to the accident under special damages. These cover both past and future losses the injury causes, such as:

• Care costs
• Travel expenses
• Medical expenses
• Loss of earnings
• Loss of pension contributions

However, not every claim will include these, so they will be calculated separately before being added to your settlement figure.

If you’d like to calculate your claim yourself, our compensation calculator can be a handy guide. Alternatively, you can call our advisors for a free estimate.

Construction Site Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor

If you have strong grounds to claim construction accident compensation, you could speak with our advisors about getting support from a solicitor. Our advisors may connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.

Our solicitors could offer to support your construction site accident claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under such an agreement, you won’t have to pay any upfront or ongoing service fees to your solicitor. Furthermore, you won’t need to pay your solicitor for the work they have provided on your case if your claim proves unsuccessful.

If you succeed with your claim, your personal injury solicitor will take a success fee. This is a capped percentage taken from any compensation.

To learn more about construction accident claims, contact our advisors for free today. Please get in touch using any of the following contact details:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804.
• Contact us using our online form.
• Use the 24/7 Live Chat feature.

Learn More

• For more information on your rights after an accident at work, see our guide.
• Read our guide on the process of making a personal injury claim against your employer.
• See the Health and Safety Executive for more workplace accident statistics.
• Visit the NHS website if you require any medical advice.
• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) provides guidance on accident prevention in the workplace.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to seek compensation after a construction site accident. We hope you found it informative.