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University Of Leicester Data Breach Compensation Claims Guide

In this article, we are going to explain when data breach claims against the University of Leicester could be necessary and what sort of problems a data breach could cause.

To help them function properly, universities need to store and use personal information about their students and also their staff. However, the information they retain could be highly prized if it was to end up in the hands of criminals. Therefore, steps must be taken to prevent a security breach.

University of Leicester data breach claims guide

University of Leicester data breach claims guide

You are probably aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by now. It became part of UK law when The Data Protection Act 2018 was passed. The purpose of these new laws is to give individuals whose information is needed (or data subjects according to the GDPR) more control over how organisations (or data controllers) use it.

Failure to comply with data protection laws could land a data controller in hot water and they could face a large financial penalty from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Moreover, you could begin legal action to claim data breach compensation for any harm caused by a personal data breach.

Legal Expert could help with any such action. We have a team of advisors who can assess any claim on a no-obligation basis. After they have provided free legal advice, they could pass your case to a specialist solicitor from our team. Should your claim be accepted, it will be managed on a No Win No Fee basis.

If you are in a position to start a claim right away, please call our team on 0800 073 8804 today. Alternatively, read on to find out more about university data breach compensation claims.

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A Guide On Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Leicester

There is no doubt that things have changed in regard to personal data collection over the past few years. Since the implementation of the GDPR, the way in which we make appointments, shop online, use medical services and sign up to educational courses has altered.

You’ll now notice large sections of information on physical and online forms relating to how your data will be used, details of who it could be shared with and information on how it will be stored.

Those things are now included in forms because organisations need to tell you all of that information before they are allowed to process your information. Furthermore, they can’t proceed without your permission (hence the tick boxes and pop-up notifications you’ll see every day).

When the organisation knows of your preferences, they have to ensure your data isn’t used for any other purpose. Additionally, data of a personal nature must be stored securely. Not only could a personal data breach result in a large fine from the ICO, but it could also mean you’re entitled to be compensated for any harm that results.

If you are going to claim, you’ll need to do so before the 6-year time limit expires. If your case relates to a breach of human rights, the limitation period reduces to 1-year. We always think that you’ll find it easier to discuss how you have been harmed if you start the claim as early as you can. On a similar note, an early start might make it easier for your solicitor to gather supporting evidence.

After you have finished reading this article, why not get in touch with our team? They’ll answer any questions you might have and also assess your case for free.

What Is A Data Breach By Leicester University?

As the world changes, it’s quite common for data breaches to occur because of cybersecurity problems like hacking, phishing emails, malware, ransomware and viruses. However, the GDPR is also concerned with any type of personal data – even if it’s non-digital.

To prove this point, a pharmacy in London was fined by the ICO because they stored thousands of records relating to their patients in unsecured containers at the back of its premises. As the records could have been accessed by members of the public, some of the GDPR rules had been contravened and a fine was issued.

Within the GDPR document, data breaches are defined as acts that cause a data subject’s personal details to be altered, destroyed, lost, disclosed or accessed in ways that have not been permitted. The ICO can investigate any type of data breach whether it was caused deliberately, accidentally or illegally.

We are here to help if you believe you are the victim of a university data breach. Please call our advice team, explain what happened, and let us review your claim for free.

How The GDPR Has Affected University Data Policies

Now that the GDPR has been introduced, the way in which universities interact with our data has changed. As data controllers, universities are bound by a set of principles listed within the new law. That means that they must be able to demonstrate adherence to the following:

  • Making it clear why a data subject’s personal information is required.
  • Using methods to process data that are legal, obvious and fair.
  • Only collecting information that is required and nothing else.
  • Providing a means to allowed stored personal information to be updated.
  • Using processing procedures which are confidential and safe.
  • Never storing personal data for any longer than required.

The main focus of these GDPR principles is personally identifiable information. This is defined as any data relating to a data subject that could help to identify them. For instance, details such as names, email addresses, telephone number, home addresses, staff numbers or student enrolment numbers.

In addition, some data linked to protected characteristics such as disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age could help identify somebody.

For free advice on claiming for GDPR breaches, please get in touch today.

Which Universities Have Been Impacted By Breaches Of Data Protection?

In this section, we will show you how one company’s data breach put several UK universities at risk. The company, Blackbaud, are providers of database systems that many universities use to maintain contact with alumni and supporters.

During early 2020, Blackbaud was contacted by hackers to demand a ransom for data they had obtained from the company. Upon investigation, they identified that data relating to a number of customers had been accessed and downloaded.

As the law requires, the customers affected by the breach were contacted by Blackbaud and they had to subsequently investigate who was at risk of their data being exposed. The data was believed to have related to contact information, educational results and how previous students had supported the university.

While it is unusual to do so and not recommended by most law agencies, Blackbaud decided that paying the ransom was the easiest way to resolve the matter. By doing so, they were assured by the criminals that the data had been securely destroyed.

More information: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53516413

If you suspect that your personal data has been leaked in a university data breach, please let us know. We’ll consider your chances of receiving compensation and explain your legal options for you.

UK University Data Protection Breach Statistics

While we can’t show details of every data breach that has affected a university within this guide, we do want to get across how common they are becoming. It’s important to try and reduce the number because not only have universities got a lot of information about staff and students, but many also control some sensitive data relating to research projects as well.

One report, based on information provided by 86 universities has found that:

  • The annual training budget to inform staff on data safety techniques is just £7,529 on average.
  • 54% of the universities questioned said that they had reported a data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office in the last year.
  • 46% of all staff had not had any data awareness training in the past year.
  • 49% of universities offer no proactive data safety training to students.
  • Over a quarter said that their network had never been tested for security problems by an external company.

If you believe you have been the victim of a university data breach and would like to start a claim, please call our free legal advice team today.

Cybercrime And Security Breaches Against Universities

As we have just shown, cybercrimes are becoming more and more popular causes of data breaches involving universities. We are not specialists in IT security techniques but there are some standard practices that could be adopted to help prevent future data protection breaches, such as:

  • Hiring an IT security firm to complete a thorough penetration test of the network infrastructure. This could help identify and fix flaws before criminals make use of them.
  • Train all staff properly on steps they can take to help keep personal information secure.
  • Use encryption software to protect the data held on devices if they are lost or stolen.
  • Review the university’s data privacy policies on a regular basis.
  • Ensuring that every device on the network has been patched with the latest security updates.

We appreciate that university budgets are probably tight but investing in securing personal data could help prevent a lot of harm as well as preventing the university from being fined by the ICO.

Types Of Compensation Which Data Breach Victims Could Claim

It would be really nice if you could just ask for a set amount of compensation when settling a university data breach claim. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy and you will be required to substantiate your claim with evidence. What makes claims more difficult to assess is that as well as looking at damage or harm that has already happened, you may need to consider future suffering too.

Your claim is likely to consist of two main elements. Firstly, you could claim for material damages to cover the cost of any money the data breach has cost you. Secondly, a claim for non-material damages may be possible if you have suffered psychiatric injuries caused by the security breach.

When starting a material damages claim, the first step will usually be to work out how much money has been lost already. Then you may need to calculate the potential future losses too. An example might be where personal information has been sold, and continues to be sold, on the dark web which means you could be exposed to future crimes later on.

Claiming for non-material damages works in a similar way. First, you’d look at compensation for the injuries that have already been diagnosed by a doctor. After that, you could use a medical specialist to review whether any of your symptoms will carry on in the future and what harm they will cause. For instance, ongoing anxiety could make it difficult for you to work, cope with life or trust loved ones.

The complexity of these types of claims is the main reason we advise taking on legal support. If you work with us, an experienced solicitor could be assigned to work with you and to review all aspects of your suffering before your claim is submitted.

University Of Leicester Data Breach Compensation Calculator

OK, now we are going to move on to discuss potential compensation amounts. Realistically, we can only provide personalised compensation amounts once you have had your case properly assessed.

However, we’ll provide some example figures in the table that follows which could give you some idea. The figures that we have included come from the Judicial College Guidelines which courts and legal professionals often use to decide settlement amounts.

Importantly, the Court of Appeal has decided, in the hearing of Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015], that payments could be made for psychological injury without the requirement of financial losses. Also, the court stated that psychological injury compensation should be assessed in line with personal injury cases.

Edit
Type of Injury Severity Settlement Bracket Additional Details
Psychiatric Damage (General) Severe £51,460 – £108,620 There will be very serious problems coping with life, relationships and work. A very poor prognosis will result in the claimant remaining vulnerable.
Psychiatric Damage (General) Moderate £5,500 to £17,900 Again, the claimant will suffer significant problems similar to above. However, they will receive a more optimistic prognosis in this category.
Psychiatric Damage (General) Less Severe Up to £5,500 Minor symptoms which resolve fully in a short period of time.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Moderately Severe £21,730 to £56,180 With professional help, the claimant will start to improve. However, they are likely to suffer serious problems for the immediate future.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Moderate £7,680 to £21,730 Most serious PTSD symptoms will be over for claims in this category. Any that continue won’t cause major problems.

What you have probably noticed is that the main factor used to decide compensation amounts is how severe your injuries are. To help prove this, you will need to attend a local medical assessment as part of your claim. An independent medical advisor will consider medical notes from your doctor or specialist and then assess your symptoms by asking questions.

When they have completed their enquiries, a report will be written explaining your injuries and sent to your solicitor. As this is important evidence that could support your claim, medical reports are required in all cases.

Finding A Lawyer To Handle Your Data Breach Case

If you have decided that, after reading the information in this article, you would like to start a claim, you may now wish to find a suitable solicitor. There are many ways to go about this task. You could look for a local firm, ask friends for recommendations or look on the Internet for solicitor reviews. Or an easier method could be to call Legal Expert.

You can get in touch with our advisors to ask as many questions as you need to. They’ll provide free legal advice and review your claim for free. If we decide to take your case forward, you’ll have a data breach solicitor appointed. They will explain how such claims work, answer any questions throughout the process and translate any legal jargon for you. As you would expect, our solicitors will work hard to try and get the most compensation possible for your case.

Please do call today if you’d like more details on how Legal Expert can help you.

No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Against The University Of Leicester

There are many people who delay starting a compensation claim because they’re worried about the costs involved. You needn’t worry though as our team of solicitors take away those concerns by working on a No Win No Fee basis for any claim they accept. Not only will stress levels be lowered considerably, but your financial risk will be as well.

A solicitor from our team will review the merits of your case before agreeing to take it on. If they decide to work for you, they will compile a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) for you to consider. The CFA is where you’ll see how your case will be managed. It will also explain that:

  • You aren’t required to pay anything upfront.
  • There will be no solicitor’s fees payable while the case continues.
  • In the event of an unsuccessful claim, you won’t need to pay any solicitor’s fees.

If a positive outcome is achieved, a success fee will be charged to cover the solicitor’s work. Rather than you having to send payment, success fees (which are legally capped) form a percentage of your compensation that your solicitor will retain. The percentage you’ll pay will be listed in your CFA clearly.

For details on claiming using our No Win No Fee solution, please call an advisor today.

Get In Contact With A Data Breach Lawyer

Thank you for making it this far in our article on data breach claims against the University of Leicester. We really hope that we’ve answered any questions you may have about your right to begin a claim. If you would now like to get in contact with Legal Expert, you can:

    • Contact our free legal advice centre on 0800 073 8804 for a no-obligation review of your case.
    • Explain what’s happened in an email to info@legalexpert.co.uk.
    • Begin your claim with this online form and we’ll call you back.
    • Discuss your case with an online advisor in live chat.

The last thing we want to do is waste your time. Therefore, our advisors will always be honest about your chances of receiving compensation. We’ll begin by offering a free review of your case and you’ll get advice about your options too.

Should the grounds for your claim be strong enough, you may be connected to a specialist solicitor from our team. As described above, any claim we take on will be conducted on a No Win No Fee basis.

Data Protection Resources

This section is the conclusion of our article on data breach claims against the University of Leicester. As we have provided you with all of the information needed to help you understand why a claim might be possible, in this section we’re going to concentrate on some resources that may help at the time of your claim. Additionally, to show the other types of claims we could help you make, there are some further Legal Expert claims listed as well. Please feel free to contact our free legal advice team if there is anything else you need to know.

University Of Leicester Data Protection – A list of data privacy policies for students, staff and alumni.

Making A Subject Access Request – Advice from the ICO that explains how you can request copies of your data.

Support With Stress – Information on the physical and mental symptoms of stress provided by the NHS.

Dental Damage Claims – A guide that shows how our solicitors could help you claim for injuries caused by dental negligence.

Tattoo Injury Claims – Information about claiming for injuries sustained in tattoo shops.

Football Stadium Accident Claims – If you’ve been injured while at a football match, this guide could help you make a claim.

Other Useful Compensation Guides

Thank you for reading our guide to data breach claims against the University of Leicester.

 

Guide by Hambridge

Edited by Billing

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    • Patrick Mallon

      Patrick is a Grade A solicitor having qualified in 2005. He's an an expert in accident at work and public liability claims and is currently our head of the EL/PL department. Get in touch today for free to see how we can help you.