Last Updated 23rd September 2025. Has your personal data been recently compromised due to un-redacted documents in a data breach? Are you wondering how to make a personal data breach claim? In this guide, we will look at circumstances in which personal data should have been redacted but was not.
Additionally, we will discuss when and how personal data should be redacted to protect the data subject. Furthermore, we will explore the specific criteria you must meet to make a claim for data breach compensation.
We understand that you may have specific questions that cannot be answered by this article. If so, you can contact our friendly team of advisors. They can offer you free legal advice and are available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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What Is An Un-Redacted Documents Data Breach?
A personal data breach is a security incident where your personal information is either accidentally or unlawfully lost, accessed, destroyed, disclosed or altered. Personal data is any information that could identify you directly or in combination with other information. This can include your home address, banking details and telephone number.
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), alongside the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), states that any organisation that processes UK residents’ personal data must do so in line with legislation.
This can include redacting documents. Redaction is removing or blocking out any personal information from a document so it can be distributed and used whilst protecting personal information.
If an organisation fails to redact your personal data from a document, and this leads to a personal data breach that results in you experiencing harm, you may be eligible to claim.
Contact our advisors today if you have evidence that your personal information was compromised due to un-redacted documents in a data breach.
How Should Documents Be Redacted?
Sometimes an organisation may need to share a document containing your personal information, such as within an HR department or to the police. There are various ways in which these organisations could redact your personal data before sharing it with a third party.
When sharing a physical paper copy containing your personal information, they may use a thick black marker pen to redact the information. However, they must ensure that your personal data cannot be read from behind the black mark.
Alternatively, if an organisation shares a digital copy containing your personal data, they could use specific tools and applications to redact the information. Or, they could create a separate document containing only the necessary information they need to share.
Contact our advisors today for more information on how to make an un-redacted documents data breach claim.
Types Of Data Which Could Be Redacted
Any kind of document that contains your personal data could be redacted should the need arise. Some examples of personal data that could be redacted within a document can include:
- Your personal address
- Your date of birth
- Certain financial information, e.g. your bank data or credit card details
- Health information, such as information in your medical records
In order to make a valid claim, you must be able to prove that the data controller or processor’s failings led to the breach. For example, an employee may have forgotten to redact your personal data. You must also suffer harm as a result of the breach.
If your personal data has been breached due to un-redacted documents in a data breach, you might be able to make a personal data breach claim. Contact our team to find out if you have a valid claim.
Objecting To Your Data Being Shared
If an organisation intends to share your personal data, they may first ask for your consent. This is common when information is being shared for marketing purposes, for example. This gives you the opportunity to object to your personal data being shared.
However, consent is only one of the six lawful bases for data processing. These lawful bases are set out by the UK GDPR. Any organisation that intends to process or share your personal data must first establish a lawful basis. If they cannot do so, they are in breach of data protection law.
If you have suffered harm because your personal data was compromised due to un-redacted documents in a data breach, you may be able to make a claim. Call our advisors for further guidance.
What Could You Claim For An Un-Redacted Documents Data Breach?
Settlements for personal data breach claims could be divided into material and non-material damage.
Material damage compensates you for the financial losses you have suffered as a direct result of the personal data breach. These losses could include:
- Money spent on your debit/credit card
- Loans taken out in your name (which could also affect your credit rating)
- Money was stolen directly from your bank account
To help support your claim for material damage, you could provide evidence such as credit card and bank statements.
Non-material damage compensates you for the psychological harm you have endured due to the personal data breach. For example, you may suffer depression due to a data breach or anxiety after a breach. Just like with material damage, providing evidence that you have suffered mental harm could help support your claim.
To help you understand how much you could potentially receive in non-material damage, we have provided the following table. We have used the compensation brackets in the most recent edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), aside from the first entry. Many solicitors will use this document to help them when valuing claims.
Please note that this table should only be used as a guide. How much you could receive will depend on your specific claim.
| Non-Material Damage (Injury) | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Psychological Harm with compensation for Material Damage | Severe | Up to £250,000+ |
| Psychiatric Damage | (a) Severe | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| (b) Moderately Severe | £23,270 to £66,920 | |
| (c) Moderate | £7,150 to £23,270 | |
| (d) Less Severe | £1,880 to £7,150 | |
| PTSD | (a) Severe | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| (b) Moderately Severe | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| (c) Moderate | £9,980 to £28,250 | |
| (d) Less Severe | £4,820 to £9,980 |
If you have sufficient evidence that your personal data was compromised due to un-redacted documents in a data breach, you may be eligible to make a claim. Contact our advisors today for further information.
What Evidence Will I Need To Make An Un-Redacted Documents Data Breach Claim?
To make a successful un-redacted documents data breach claim, it’s essential that you provide evidence to support your case. In all, you must be able to demonstrate that an organisation failed to adhere to data protection laws by exposing an un-redacted document. As a result, you may have suffered mental or financial harm.
Therefore, please see the following examples of evidence that you could provide to support your claim:
- Your medical records. A copy of your medical records will confirm the level of psychological harm you experienced in an official capacity.
- Notification of the data breach. For example, an organisation may have sent you a letter or email notifying you of the un-redacted documents data breach.
- Financial documents relating to the losses that you suffered. These documents may include bank statements, payslips for loss of earnings, and receipts for any incurred expenses.
- The findings of an ICO investigation. Ultimately, the results of an investigation could confirm that an organisation had breached your data. As a result, the findings could be provided as evidence to support your claim.
One of our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors could help you with evidence-gathering. To start your unredacted documents data breach claim, please contact our friendly advisory team today.
Contact Us If An Un-Redacted Documents Data Breach Impacted You
If your personal data has been compromised due to un-redacted documents in a personal data breach, you may be interested in pursuing a personal data breach claim. If you decide to do so, one of our experienced solicitors may be able to help you with your claim with a type of No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
There are various benefits to claiming with this type of arrangement. Generally, there is nothing to pay upfront to the solicitor to begin working on your personal data breach claim. If your claim is a success, you will pay them a small percentage of your compensation, called a success fee. But, if your claim fails, then you will not pay this fee.
If you still have any questions regarding personal data breach claims, please contact our advisors. They are available to help you 24 hours a day and can offer you free legal advice concerning your specific claim.
To speak with our friendly team:
- Call on 0800 073 8804
- Use our live chat feature.
- Or, complete our claim online form
Learn More About Redacting Information In Documents
More articles by us about personal data breach claims:
- Making a data breach claim for sending a fax to the wrong person.
- Housing association data breach compensation claims guide.
- Nursery data breach compensation claims guide.
Additional information can be found:
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – Personal data breaches
- NHS – Post-traumatic stress disorder
- National Cyber Security Centre – Report a scam email
Contact our advisors today if your personal data was compromised due to un-redacted documents in a data breach.
Written by Robinson
Edited By Hampton
