Making an Equifax data breach claim
Resulting from a seismic cyberattack, the Equifax data breach was one the largest seen in recent memory. Hitting around 145 million US customers, the breach also affected approximately 700,000 UK customers. In response, we decided to launch a group action to hold Equifax to account and to claim compensation for the UK victims. Anyone who was notified of their involvement in the breach by Equifax may be able to make an Equifax data breach claim.
As an international credit reference agency, Equifax holds a wealth of personal information, much of which is highly sensitive. As a result of the data breach, millions upon millions of consumers were exposed to threats of information misuse and fraud, all of which was provoked by Equifax’s failure to patch a known cybersecurity vulnerability.
The importance of holding Equifax to account must not be underestimated. We hope that our group action will bring fair compensation to the victims, and will also send a message to Equifax and other data controllers that such negligence will not be tolerated.
NHS Digital data breach three-year anniversary
In July, it was three years since the NHS Digital data breach was first reported. This was a wide-reaching data protection incident in which tens of thousands of people had their personal information misused. NHS Digital was found to have caused personal data misuse after a system error denied patients the ability to choose how their information was processed and used.
Every patient should be able to exercise control over the use of their confidential health information, so the NHS Digital data incident represents a significant breach of patients’ data protection rights. It is for this reason that many patients affected by the incident could be eligible to claim compensation, and we are working on behalf of victims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
We began to offer advice to potential claimants soon after the breach was reported, and we will continue to help as many victims as we can. However, given that three years have passed, claims may be different for anyone only just bringing one now, and further dates can prevent more victims from making a claim. As we often say, it is important that you seek advice as soon as possible if you were affected.
Compensation claims in data group actions
Due to the nature of data breaches, it is often the case that many people are affected by the same incident. One system insecurity can leave swathes of private information vulnerable, and even a momentary human error can cause irrevocable information exposure. For data breach incidents that involve dozens or even thousands of victims, we may decide to launch data group actions.
As specialists in group actions, we know how powerful a force we can create when we collect all the claims together in one lawsuit. We know that group litigation can seem like a complex and unfamiliar area of law to some of our clients, but we can assure you that we handle each claimant’s case with efficiency and minimal stress to you.
Having developed a specialism in data breach claims, our firm has brought group actions in response to many major data breaches, such as those which occurred at British Airways, Virgin Media, and Equifax. We believe that group litigation is the key to holding companies to account for data protection negligence, and we encourage anyone affected by a data breach to join us in our pursuit of justice.
Spire Healthcare court case leads to fine
The Spire Healthcare court case has now come to a conclusion after the group was reportedly told to pay a total of £20,104.36, £5,000 of which was a fine, according to Leeds Live. The Care Quality Commission, which is understood to have never taken an independent healthcare provider to court before, pursued Spire Healthcare with legal action over allegations that the provider had allegedly delayed telling patients that they had been subjected to potentially negligent care.
The court case was not related to the medical negligence itself, but the case did concern Spire Healthcare’s reported failure to act upon the failings in patient treatment carried out by Michael Walsh, a former surgeon at the company.
As specialists in medical negligence, it always triggers alarm bells for us when we hear that negligent treatment may have been covered up or played down. Healthcare organisations have a duty to thoroughly scrutinise any suspicions of malpractice, or they could be responsible for letting patients down and putting them at risk. We are pleased to see that the Care Quality Commission has taken successful legal action in this case.
Typeform data breach claim group action update
Three years ago, survey company Typeform reported that it had been the victim of a hack, causing a breach of the information it stored for its customers. Becoming aware of the issue in late June, Typeform is understood to have found that a hacker had been able to steal from its backup of personal data. Those who were affected by data exposure due to the incident may be able to recover compensation as part of our Typeform data breach claim group action.
No one should be put in the position of having their data made vulnerable to unauthorised access and potential criminal misuse, so organisations must do everything in their power to safeguard the information that they hold. Where companies fail to protect personal data, this can constitute a breach of data protection law, and those affected can be eligible to make a compensation claim.
Anyone who was notified of their involvement in the Typeform incident can come to us for expert advice on their potential eligibility for a claim. We have been helping a number of others for a while now and claimants can be eligible for No Win, No Fee legal representation.
AX data breach- legal advice and compensation claims
If you are a customer of AX, you may have recently been contacted regarding the data breach that affected the company’s files. It is understood that the AX data breach occurred earlier this year in January, after an unauthorised third party managed to access private information held by the company.
AX, formerly known as Accident Exchange, provides vehicle hire services to those who have been involved in road traffic accidents. It may be that some of AX’s customers are involved in ongoing insurance or personal injury claims arising from their accidents, so it could be highly distressing for such victims to hear that information relating to these incidents might have been exposed.
Your personal information should never fall into the hands of an unauthorised third party but, unfortunately, some data controllers still fail to protect personal information from theft or loss. If you have been the victim of an incident like this, you may be eligible to start a compensation claim, so contact our team for advice if you think you have a case.
Ticketmaster data group action – still time to claim
Three years have passed since the Ticketmaster data breach, which affected the private information of a huge number of customers. An external hacker was able to compromise Ticketmaster’s wider systems, allowing them to steal personal details and payment data from customers making online bookings. The wide-reaching impact of this breach must be accounted for, which is why we are still pursuing our Ticketmaster data group action, aiming to help those affected by the incident to claim the compensation that they deserve.
All third-party organisations in possession of personal information must abide by the regulations set out in data protection law. Where they fail to do so, their actions (or inaction) could be regarded as a data protection breach, and those affected could then be entitled to claim compensation for any harm caused.
If you were adversely impacted by the Ticketmaster data breach, you can assert your rights using data protection law by making a compensation claim. We can offer free, no-obligation on your eligibility for a claim, and can get your claim underway swiftly if we think you could be entitled to compensation.
Recent British Airways data breach claim settlement – victims can still claim
It has recently been reported that one group of claimants in the British Airways group action have reached a settlement with the opposition. The action against the airline was initiated in response to their 2018 data breaches, in which hundreds of thousands of customers had their data subjected to unauthorised access. Although this initial British Airways data breach claim settlement has taken place, our claims against BA will continue until we win our clients the compensation that they deserve.
One law firm decided to negotiate a settlement of their claims, but due to an agreement of confidentiality, the number of the claims settled and the values of the compensation pay-outs have not been publicised. However, when compared with the 420,000 people affected by the data breach, we estimate that only a small subset of those affected have been awarded compensation so far.
We are continuing to pursue our legal action against BA, and we are confident that we will be able to succeed with the action and obtain damages for our clients. If you have yet to make a claim, make sure to start your legal case here now to avoid missing out.
Shurgard data breach claims
If you were affected by the Shurgard data breach of June 2018, you may still have a chance to claim compensation. We were alerted to the breach soon after it occurred and began representing people who had their information exposed.
The Shurgard data breach was caused by an internal employee error within the company, which led to the unintentional exposure of highly sensitive employee data. Those affected may have been made to feel insecure in their own workplace, a position that they should never have been put in.
In fact, all businesses and organisations who hold personal data have an obligation to protect it in compliance with data protection law. When a data controller neglects its responsibilities, they may be in breach of key data regulations, enabling the victims to make compensation claims. Those who were affected by Shurgard data breach can contact us to receive free and no-obligation advice on their eligibility to make a claim.
Steering Committee in group actions
As specialists in group actions, we are used to representing huge client cohorts to fight against common defendants. Many people may have a basic understanding of what a group action is, but most may not know exactly how the legal proceedings work in these lawsuits. A Steering Committee is normally one of the key elements needed to bring a group action to court.
We are always keen to demystify consumer claims for our clients, as we believe that understanding more about the process can help them to feel confident and reassured about their claim. Any claimants who join our group actions can be sure that we will keep them updated at every step of the process.
Renault diesel emissions investigations lead to charge for carmaker
The Renault diesel emissions investigations in France have now given way to a charge relating to alleged deceit against the carmaker, whom prosecutors have reportedly accused of test-cheating and emissions software manipulation. Renault continues to dispute the allegations, but given the widespread emissions scandal affecting the car industry, the carmaker looks set to face further scrutiny in the courts.
In 2015, the Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ scandal first hit the headlines after VW was accused of using illegal defeat device technology in its diesel vehicles as a means of manipulating their emissions output during testing. Since then, the majority of major carmakers have been subjected to similar allegations, leading to billions of pounds in fines and potential compensation pay-outs internationally.
Your Lawyers was the first firm to initiate formal High Court proceedings against Volkswagen in England and Wales, and were later appointed to the Steering Committee responsible for the overall conduct of the Group Litigation Order. Now, we want to ensure that all those affected by emissions irregularities have a chance to claim the compensation they could be entitled to in our emissions group actions.
Thermal windows and the car emissions scandal
Many people will have seen the countless headlines surrounding the car emissions scandal, but it can be difficult to understand exactly what methods car manufacturers might have used to cheat emissions tests. It has been suggested that some carmakers have allegedly exploited so-called ‘thermal windows’ which could allow vehicles to still produce what could be deemed as excessive nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
If such accusations are proven to be true, it may be that many diesel vehicles have been producing significant volumes of harmful emissions. Regardless of the exact method used, any suspicions of emissions cheating should be addressed.
Following the High Court ruling that Volkswagen has been using defeat devices in certain diesel vehicles, we have started group actions against other suspected car manufacturers over similar allegations. Those who own or have previously owned affected vehicles may be entitled to recover thousands of pounds in compensation.