Picture this: you’re scrolling through your emails and spot a message that stops you in your tracks. “We regret to inform you that your personal information may have been compromised in a recent data breach.”
It’s becoming a disturbingly common notification – and it leaves people feeling exposed and anxious. But you’re not powerless.
If your personal data has been breached, you may be entitled to compensation. Whether it’s for financial loss or emotional distress, UK law offers protection. And thanks to group lawsuits, it’s easier than ever to take action.
Let’s walk through how to claim compensation after a data breach…
What is a data breach claim?
A data breach claim is a legal process where you seek compensation from a company that has failed to protect your personal data. This could be due to hacking, internal errors, poor security practices, or sharing your data without consent.
You may be able to claim compensation for:
- Financial loss (e.g. fraud or identity theft)
- Emotional distress and anxiety
- Loss of privacy
- Time and effort spent dealing with the fallout
- Potential future harm.
Step-by-step: How to claim data breach compensation
Step 1: Check your eligibility
If you’ve received a notification about a data breach, or suspect your data has been misused, the first step is to find out whether you qualify to join a compensation claim.
At Join the Claim, we track live data breach claims across the UK and add them to our site as soon as they become available. For each case, we provide a quick and simple eligibility checker – so you’ll know instantly if you could qualify to join and claim compensation.
Step 2: Join a group action lawsuit
You’re not alone. In many data breaches, thousands – even millions – of people are affected. Instead of going it alone, group litigation lets people join forces and hold companies accountable together.
We’re here to help you take the first step.
- If you’re eligible to join a group action data breach claim, provide a few extra details, and we’ll connect you with a regulated law firm that’s ready to take on your case.
- If we haven’t yet found a suitable law firm, register your interest and we’ll keep you updated as things progress.
Ready to proceed? We’ll guide you through registering with the law firm. From there, they’ll manage your claim and keep you updated – all on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Step 3: Your lawyers will build your claim
To strengthen your claim, your lawyers will gather evidence including:
- Company breach notifications or emails
- Official investigations (e.g. from the ICO)
- Personal statements from victims
- Technical details on how the breach happened.
Having an expert data breach lawyer behind you means you’re not doing this alone. They’ll do the heavy lifting. All you need to do is provide relevant documents or confirm your experience.
Step 4: Seek compensation
If the case is strong, it will proceed to legal action or settlement negotiations. Many companies choose to settle rather than face court. If the claim succeeds, compensation will be divided among group members based on the impact each person suffered.
Good news: most claims are no-win, no-fee, so you don’t pay unless you win.
Real cases, real results
Want to see the real impact of group litigation? Here are some high-profile cases that demonstrate how making a data breach claim helps people get justice and compensation (while pushing companies to clean up their act).
British Airways data breach
- What happened: 500,000+ customers’ data was exposed in 2018.
- Outcome: BA was fined £20M and settled a group claim.
- Compensation: Claimants received payment for the data breach.
Ticketmaster data breach
- What happened: 9.4 million users’ details compromised in 2018.
- Outcome: Ticketmaster fined £1.25M. A group claim was also settled confidentially.
- Compensation: Claimants received payment for the data breach.
What you can do now
If you’ve been affected by a data breach, don’t wait. You may have limited time to claim compensation. At Join the Claim, we’re currently helping victims of major breaches like:
Find out more about live group litigation claims and start the path to justice with Join the Claim today.
