This guide discusses email data breach examples and how personal data could be compromised through online communication. An email data breach can have a serious impact on your day-to-day life, and you may be wondering if you could claim compensation.
Email data breach examples claims guide
In recognition of this risk, two main pieces of legislation protect the data processing rights of UK residents. These are the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
These laws are enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which has the authority to investigate and issue data breach fines against any organisation that fails to adhere to data protection law.
If you would like to learn more about personal data breach claims or if your personal data has been breached via email, contact our team today. Our advisors can provide free legal advice through a free consultation. If your claim is valid, they may then connect you with one of our panel data breach solicitors. To learn more, you can:
- Call our team on 0333 241 2521
- Use the live chat option below
- Make a claim online
Choose A Section
- Email Data Breach Examples – A Guide
- Email Data Breach Examples – When Am I Eligible To Claim?
- Potential Evidence That Could Help You Claim For An Email Data Breach
- What Compensation Could You Receive From A Data Protection Breach Claim?
- Why Use No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors To Claim?
- Read More About Email Data Breach Examples
Email Data Breach Examples – A Guide
Personal data is defined as any detail that, when used alone or in conjunction with other details, could identify you as a living person. If the confidentiality, availability, or integrity of this data is compromised in a security incident, this is a personal data breach.
However, in order to make a claim for compensation, the breach must meet the criteria stipulated by the UK GDPR. This includes:
- The breach has to be the result of wrongful conduct on the part of the data controller or the data processor
- It has to affect your personal data
- You have to experience harm as a result of the breach, either to your mental health or to your finances
The party that decides how your data will be used is called the data controller. The data processor is the party that actually processes it and does so by following the controller’s guidance.
To find out if you could be eligible for compensation, get in touch with a member of our team for a free consultation. Alternatively, keep reading to learn more about email data breach examples.
Email Data Breach Examples – When Am I Eligible To Claim?
There are various ways in which an email data breach could occur. Below, you can find some email data breach examples:
- A solicitor data breach could occur if your solicitor were to email your personal data to the wrong recipient
- A GP data breach could occur if your doctor were to attach the wrong document to an email. This could allow an unauthorised party to access information about your medical conditions.
- If your disciplinary records were emailed to multiple recipients by a university employee, this could be an example of a university data breach.
Certain types of personal data can be classed as special category and require a greater level of care when processing. This kind of data can include sexuality data, political and religious views, and trade union membership statuses.
For more information on email data breach examples, or to find out if you are eligible to claim, get in touch with our team today.
Potential Evidence That Could Help You Claim For An Email Data Breach
There are certain actions and steps that can be taken to help assemble the strongest case for an email data breach claim. One of these steps is to gather evidence to help support your claim. Some examples of evidence that you could collect include:
- A letter or email of notification from the organisation responsible for the data breach or any other correspondence referring to the breach
- Medical records or a letter from a doctor or psychologist that illustrates the extent of the damage done to your mental health by the breach
- Receipts, bills, invoices, or other documentation that shows the financial harm suffered because of the breach
You can collect this evidence yourself, but you can also do it with help from an expert data breach solicitor. To find out if one of our panel of solicitors could help you strengthen your case, get in touch with our team today.
What Compensation Could You Receive From A Data Protection Breach Claim?
Two areas of compensation may be applicable to your compensation claim. Non-material damage compensation is the head of claim that addresses the psychological harm caused by the breach.
Solicitors use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help calculate how much compensation you could receive for non-material damage. The JCG contains guideline settlement awards for various injuries and illnesses, as detailed below:
| Type of Mental Health Condition | Amount Brackets | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological damage | Severe £54,830 – £115,730 | Impacts felt in all areas of the person’s life with a poor future prognosis indicated |
| Psychological damage | Moderately Severe £19,070 – £54,830 | A long-standing illness of similar severity to the bracket above but a more positive prognosis indicated |
| Psychological damage | Moderate £5,860 – £19,070 | Despite being initially serious, an improvement is seen by the time the case may need to be heard |
| Psychological damage | Less Severe £1,540 – £5,860 | Cases in this bracket relate to length of illness |
| PTSD | Severe £59,860 – £100,670 | A profound trauma response that adversely impacts all areas of the person’s life |
| PTSD | Moderately Severe – £23,150 – £59,860 | Similar severe issues that show some improvement after professional counselling |
| PTSD | Moderate – £8,180 – £23,150 | A good recovery overall, with persisting symptoms being manageable |
| PTSD | Less Severe £3,950 -£8,180 | Virtually a full recovery within a 2 year period and only minor issues persisting beyond this period. |
Please note that these figures are not guaranteed, and the actual amount you could receive can vary from claim to claim.
Material Damage In An Email Data Breach Claim
In addition to non-material damage compensation, the financial impact of an email data breach can be assessed as material damage compensation. For example, under the material damage heading, you may be able to claim for:
- Fraudulent purchases made on credit cards
- Damage to your credit score
- Debt that has accrued in your name
- Lost earnings due to time taken off work
To get more information on how compensation is calculated in personal data breach claims, contact our team. Or, read on to find out how our panel solicitors could help if the email data breach examples in this article have been relevant to your situation.
Why Use No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors To Claim?
If any of the email data breach examples in this guide have been relevant to you, one of our panel solicitors may be able to help you start a claim. Our panel offer a kind of No Win No Fee contract known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under this kind of agreement, you can hire a solicitor, generally without having to pay any upfront fees or ongoing costs.
The only fee you will pay to your solicitor under a CFA is a success fee, which is taken from the compensation of successful claims. This fee has a legislative cap to help ensure that you get the most of your award. However, if your claim fails, then you will not pay a fee to your solicitor for their work.
Contact Us 24/7 For Free To See If You Can Make A Data Protection Breach Claim
Our advisors are available 24/7 to help you. See how you could be eligible to launch a claim for compensation after an email data breach by getting in touch:
- Call our team on 0333 241 2521
- Use the live chat option below
- Make a claim online
Read More About Email Data Breach Examples
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Thank you for reading our guide on email data breach examples.
Writer Jeff Wilders
Publisher Cat Heart
