Wokingham Data Breach Solicitors – Expert Claims Support
Were you impacted by a data breach and need advice? Would you like to know whether data breach solicitors for Wokingham could accept your case on a No Win No Fee basis? If so, please continue reading our guide which contains essential reading and advice on claiming data breach compensation.
Data breach solicitors for Wokingham
A breach may happen accidentally, deliberately, through human error or due to malicious actions. However, the breach occurred, you may be entitled to compensation providing you can prove specific criteria which we cover in our guide.
You will also find valuable information on compensation payouts for non-material damages. We also explain how you could seek material damages to cover your monetary losses. There is information on the laws that must be followed by organisations that collect data. Additionally, we explain how the Information Commissioner’s Office enforces data protection law in the UK.
To speak to a member of the Legal Expert team and to find out if you have grounds to sue, please get in touch on our freephone number 0800 073 8804. If you prefer, you can complete our online claims form and an adviser will get back to you. Alternatively, for more information and advice on claiming data breach compensation, please continue reading our guide.
Select a Section
- Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham Explained
- What Is A Data Breach?
- What Are The Most Common Causes Of Data Breaches?
- Are Data Breaches Becoming More Common?
- Dealing With A Breach Of Your Data Privacy
- How Are Settlements For Data Breaches Calculated?
- How To Claim With No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham
- Get Specialist Advice From Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham
- Find Out More About Claiming With A Specialist Solicitor
Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham Explained
Data controllers – organisations that collect and process personal data within the Wokingham areas must keep this information safe. This includes private companies, large and small businesses as well as public bodies. There are laws that protect your personal information which all data controllers must abide by. When a data controller fails to protect the data appropriately that they hold and process, they could be issued with fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The ICO enforces data protection law in the UK, but the authority does not deal with data breach claims. If you want to seek compensation, you have to start legal proceedings against the data controller responsible. A data breach compensation claim would only be valid if you can prove the data controller did not protect your personal information correctly. And as a consequence of their actions or inactions, you suffered financially or mentally.
To find out whether data breach solicitors for Wokingham claims would take on your case, please get in touch today. A member of the Legal Expert team can review the details of the breach before advising you on how best to proceed.
What Is A Data Breach?
Data controllers collect and handle personal data. This includes private organisations and public bodies like the council and local authorities. As such, they must ensure the personal data they hold is kept secure and they must abide by data protection laws. These are:
- The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018)
When a data controller fails to comply with data protection laws, and your data is compromised, you could be entitled to seek compensation. However, you must be able to prove two things which are:
- A data controller failed to protect your data through their actions or inactions, and
- That you suffered as a consequence which meant you incurred monetary losses, mental distress, or both
If a data controller had done all they could to protect your data but there was still a breach, your claim will likely not succeed.
The definition of a data breach is a security incident where personal information is unlawfully or accidentally altered, lost, destroyed, accessed, or stolen.
To speak to a member of our team, and to find out if your claim is valid, please call the number shown above. An adviser can provide free legal advice. Additionally, they can put you in touch with a specialist solicitor if your claim is valid.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Data Breaches?
One of the most common causes of a breach in data security is due to human error. However, phishing emails also account for a high percentage of attacks. Some examples of breaches caused through human error include the following:
- An email, fax, or letter containing someone’s personal data sent to the wrong person
- Files containing personal data not disposed of correctly
- Data not redacted in information packs that are sent out
- Failure to Bcc email recipients
- Computer screen left on exposing personal data
A breach in data security can have serious consequences for all involved. You may incur monetary losses and suffer emotional harm. If this is the case, data breach solicitors for Wokingham could help you file for compensation if liability can be established.
For more advice and information on making a data breach claim, please reach out to an adviser today. We can provide you with free advice. Furthermore, a member of our team can assess your case in a free, no-obligation, initial consultation.
Are Data Breaches Becoming More Common?
The Information Commissioner publishes quarterly reports of data security incidents on their website. As such, you can view the ICO’s statistics which cover cyber-attacks and non-cyber data incidents. Common breaches are caused by human error, here are samples of the statistics.
Call us today to discuss your case and to find out whether data breach solicitors for Wokingham can take on your case.
Dealing With A Breach Of Your Data Privacy
You have the option of contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office when there is a breach of your data. However, you are not obliged to do so. Firstly, you should contact the party responsible for the breach if they have not informed you of an event. Under data protection law, notifiable data breaches must be reported to the ICO in a timely manner. Data controllers must make the report within 72 hours of a breach.
If you are not satisfied with the reply you receive from a data controller, you should take the matter further. You could also opt to contact the ICO to raise your concern. However, you should contact the authority within 3 months of the last meaningful communication you had with the party responsible. But, as previously mentioned, you are not obliged to even when you want to make a claim.
Next, you could contact a solicitor to find out if you have a valid case against a data controller. This is where Legal Expert can help you. A skilled member of our team can review the details of your case before advising you accordingly. Please reach out to one of our advisers on our freephone number to find out more.
How Are Settlements For Data Breaches Calculated?
Data breach compensation is calculated on the severity of the harm a claimant suffered, and monetary losses. In short, when you win a data breach claim, you could receive material damages for your monetary losses. Additionally, you could be awarded non-material damages for the mental harm a breach caused you. This includes mental anguish, psychological harm, Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.
The table below contains compensation brackets for specific psychological harm. The amounts are taken from the Judicial College guidelines which legal professionals, insurers and courts use to value claims.
| Mental harm/damage suffered | Severity mental distress | Potential non-material damages awarded (Judicial College Guidelines) | Further details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological damage/harm | Moderately severe mental harm | £17,900 – £51,460 | The claimant experiences moderately to severe psychological damage and this negatively impacts their lives and their ability to lead the normal life they once enjoyed |
| Psychological damage/harm | Less severe | Up to £5,500 | The claimant experiences only minor psychological damage although some minor symptoms may persist. However, the claimant would not be too affected |
| Psychological damage/harm | Severe | £51,460 – £108,620 | The claimant suffers extremely severe psychological damages which negatively impacts all aspects of their life, ability to work and their relationships with other people |
| Psychological damage/harm | Moderate | £5,500 – £17,900 | The claimant suffers moderate psychological damage which does impact their life to a certain degree. Their symptoms may continue over time |
| Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder | Less Severe | £3,710 to £7,680 | The claimant suffers minor symptoms of Post traumatic stress disorder and their prognosis is positive. The claimant is expected to recover within two years of the incident occurring |
| Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder | Moderate | £7,680 to £21,730 | The claimant experiences moderate symptoms linked to PTSD. However, the prognosis is more positive although symptoms may persist for some time |
| Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder | Moderately Severe | £21,730 to £56,180 | The claimant suffers moderate to severe symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder. As a result, they suffer to a certain degree, but with time and the right therapies, their symptoms should improve |
| Symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder | Very Severe | £56,180 to £94,470 | The claimant suffers extremely severe symptoms linked to Post-traumatic stress disorder which negatively affect their ability to carry on working. The claimant’s quality of life as well as their relationships with people are badly affected too |
If you would like to have a more accurate estimate on how much your claim may be worth, please call a member of our team today. They can review all the details of the breach before advising you on how best to go forward.
How To Claim With No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham
You may be concerned about the cost of hiring a specialist lawyer to handle your claim. However, you could also instruct a solicitor to act for you who offers a No Win No Fee service. There are many advantages to signing a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which includes the following:
- No upfront or ongoing fees to pay
- A success fee is paid when a compensation payout is awarded
- If the claim fails no fees are required to pay the solicitor.
Your case would need to be reviewed before data breach solicitors for Wokingham would offer a No Win No Fee service. However, if they agree to take on the case, they will send you a contract known as a Conditional Fee Agreement. You sign the contract and send it back to the solicitor. They will immediately start working on your data breach claim.
Get Specialist Advice From Data Breach Solicitors For Wokingham
Before any data breach solicitors for Wokingham can take on your case they will first want to assess this. Moreover, a skilled solicitor will ask specific questions relating to your case. This includes:
- Whether your claim falls within the statutory time limit
- The circumstances surrounding the data breach and whether a party could be held liable
- If the breach resulted in you incurring monetary losses, or psychological harm
To speak to one of our skilled, and friendly advisers, please get in touch. You can do so in the following ways:
- Calling 0800 073 8804 all calls are free of charge and lines are open 24/7
- Using the Live Chat option
- Completing the online claims form
- Emailing us at info@legalexpert.co.uk
A member of the Legal Expert team can answer all your questions, and let you know whether you could make a No Win No Fee data breach claim. Please feel free to look at the past reviews left by clients we have represented in the past in all types of successful personal injury claims.
Find Out More About Claiming With A Specialist Solicitor
Employer data breach claims guide
Claiming compensation for a medical records data breach
The role of the Information Commissioner’s Office
The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018)
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
Guide By Woods
Edited By Melissa.
