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Compare The Market Data Breach Compensation Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim? – Amounts For Compare The Market Data Breach

My Data Privacy Was Breached By Compare The Market, Could I Claim Compensation?

When you compare the prices of insurance policies online, you’ll often have to hand over personal information. If that data gets into the wrong hands, it could cause serious problems for you at the time and in the future. In this article, we are going to look at the circumstances in which data breach claims against Compare The Market might be justified. We’ll also look at the harm data breaches can cause and how much compensation could be paid.

Compare The Market data breach claims guideIf you do need to make a claim, Legal Expert can help. Our team is dedicated to providing helpful and free legal advice. We’ll also review any case on a no-obligation basis.

After your case has been assessed, you could be connected with our team of data breach lawyers. If they accept your claim, they’ll represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

To find out more about price comparison site data breaches, please read on. Alternatively, we could help you begin a claim right away if you contact us on 0800 073 8804.

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A Guide To Data Protection Breach Claims Against Compare The Market

Data protection laws have been tightened in recent years. Both the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and The Data Protection Act 2018 have given individuals (referred to as data subjects) more control over how their personal information is used. The new laws also mean that companies (data controllers) must do all they can to try and keep data safe.

If data protection rules are broken, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) could launch an investigation. They also have the legal power to issue large financial penalties. Importantly, though, they won’t be able to arrange compensation if you’ve suffered damage because of a data breach. Instead, you will need to take your own legal action.

If that’s what you want to do, then you’ll usually need to abide by the 6-year time limit, which runs from the date you obtained knowledge of the breach. However, some cases involving human rights breaches only have a 1-year time limit.

If you decide to work with us, and a data breach solicitor accepts your case, we’d suggest starting your claim as early as possible. This should make it less difficult to gather supporting evidence and you’ll probably find it easier to remember how you’ve been affected.

For more guidance on the justifications behind data breach claims against Compare The Market, or any other price comparison site, please contact our specialists today.

What Are Data Protection Breach Claims Against Compare The Market

So, what is considered a data breach? Well, within the GDPR documentation, they are described as security incidents that result in personal information being lost, disclosed, destroyed, altered, or accessed in ways that have not been consented to.

For the purposes of making a data breach claim, you have to show that, either financially or mentally, the breach has caused you to suffer damage. For instance, you could claim for diagnosed mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as financial losses.

Some data breaches include digital data and are linked to cybersecurity issues such as malware, phishing emails, hacking, viruses, keyloggers or spyware. However, they can also include physical documentation. For example, if a letter containing your personal information is posted to the wrong address, a data breach has probably occurred.

If you’d like to talk to us about the evidence required to prove data breach claims against Compare The Market, why not get in touch today? If your case is suitable, a data breach solicitor from our team could be appointed to represent you.

GDPR And Data Protection Policies

The GDPR is actually very helpful as it clearly defines who has what roles and responsibilities with regards to data protection. In one section, it explains a data controller’s role when processing data. They must:

  • Use lawful, fair and transparent processing methods.
  • Inform the data subject about why they need to use their information.
  • Keep personal information up to date.
  • Not retain data for longer than necessary.
  • Not collect data that is not required.
  • Process data securely and confidentially.

When GDPR data breaches occur, the data controller must inform the Information Commissioner’s Office and begin an investigation. If a data subject is considered to be at risk because of the breach, they must be informed about it.

To talk to us today about claiming compensation for a breach of the GDPR, please call the number above. A specialist advisor will listen to what happened, review your evidence and could connect you to one of our data breach solicitors.

Examples Of Data Breaches By Comparison Sites

In this section, we’re going to provide an example of a data breach involving a price comparison website. Importantly, at the time of writing, there are no Compare The Market data breaches listed on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

However, one comparison site was fined £80,000 by the ICO after it sent emails to millions of customers who had opted out of marketing messages.

In a 10-day period, MoneySuperMarket sent 7.1 million messages about a change in its terms. However, the law was broken in one part of the message where the company told customers that they could reconsider whether they’d like to receive marketing messages.

The ICO report explained that asking customers to consent to messages in the future (when they are already opted out) is illegal.

How online service providers could breach your data privacy

There are many ways a data breach could occur. While we can’t list them all here, we have provided a sample below:

  • When emails containing personal information are sent to the wrong address.
  • If a company is hacked by cybercriminals because its security systems were not up to date.
  • If you are contacted with marketing information without consent.
  • Where companies share your personal information with other organisations without asking your permission first.

Again, if a data controller finds out about a privacy breach, they must take steps to investigate. They must also inform the ICO. Data subjects need to be told about the breach as well if it puts them at risk. If you receive an email about a data breach involving your data, there may be grounds for you to start a claim.

If you’d like to discuss the justifications for data protection breach claims against Compare The Market with us, please call our team today. After your case has been reviewed, for free, we could pass it to our data breach lawyer on our team, provided it has good prospects of success.

How The Information Commissioner’s Office Can Help You

Before pursuing a data breach claim against Compare The Market, you may want to ask the Information Commissioner’s Office to investigate. However, you need to follow a certain process before you do.

If you believe a breach of data involving information about you has occurred, you must complain to the relevant organisation first. They should provide a formal response following an investigation. You may be able to escalate the complaint where possible if you don’t agree with their response. Once 3-months have passed since you last heard from the company, you can request an ICO investigation.

The ICO won’t be able to issue compensation to you even if they do find the company guilty. However, their report could help you if you decide to take legal action for the data breach.

What Types Of Compensation Could You Be Awarded?

Let’s now look at what compensation could be paid following a data breach. Usually, the case will be made up of financial losses (or material damages) and mental injuries (non-material damages) caused as a result of the data breach. Importantly, the claim needs to address if there will be any future suffering as well, which can be quite difficult to ascertain.

Starting with financial losses is usually best. The first figure you’ll use will be for any amount of money you have already lost. Then it may be possible to work out if there will be further losses in the future. For example, if cyber criminals sell your details on the dark web, you might suffer for many years to come.

Similarly, non-material damages will usually start with conditions that have already been diagnosed or problems you have visited your GP with since the breach. As part of the claim, a medical specialist will examine you to determine the extent of your suffering. They’ll assess if you are going to continue to have symptoms going forward too. As an example, if you are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you might struggle to cope with work, relationships or education for some years to come.

So, as you can see, there is a lot of work required to claim compensation for a breach of the GDPR. For that reason, our advice is to work with a specialist data breach solicitor to represent you. Our solicitors provide a No Win No Fee service for any claim they accept. They’ll use their legal training to assess your claim fully and to make sure everything is covered before your claim is finalised.

For a free review of your data breach claim, why not call the number above today?

Calculating Compensation For Breaches In Data Protection

If your customer data has been exposed by a breach of data protection, you may want to know how much compensation might be payable. Therefore, in this section, we’ll provide some example figures that could cover the non-material damages as described above. Generally, this type of compensation will cover psychiatric injuries, including the likes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It is possible to claim for injuries that result from a data breach without having suffered financially. That principle was established by the Court of Appeal. When deciding upon the case Vidal-Hall and others v Google Inc [2015], the Court also explained that compensation should be set at levels established in personal injury law.

Therefore, our table uses figures from the Judicial College Guidelines that lawyers refer to when settling injury claims. Please remember, these figures are only examples. After your claim has been reviewed fully, we should be able to explain how much you could be awarded.

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Injury Severity Level Compensation Bracket Further Details
Psychiatric Severe £51,460 to £108,620 The claimant will receive a very poor medical prognosis. They will remain vulnerable, treatment won’t help and they will struggle to cope with life in general and work.
Psychiatric Moderately Severe £17,900 to £51,460 The claimant will have significant issues similar to above. However, their medical prognosis will be more optimistic.
Psychiatric Moderate £5,500 to £17,900 Similar issues as listed above will affect the claimant. However, their medical prognosis will be good due to a number of marked improvements.
Psychiatric Less Severe Up to £5,500 Minor psychological symptoms of the likes of stress and anxiety that resolve in full in a short space of time.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Severe £56,180 to £94,470 The claimant will be unable to work at all or return to previous levels of functioning. Their symptoms will be permanent and affect all aspects of their life.

When claiming compensation for a GDPR data breach, you will need to demonstrate the severity of any injury. During the claims process, you will be required to participate in a medical assessment. Our solicitors always try to arrange these locally.

In the meeting, an independent specialist will review medical records and question you to try and understand:

  • The level of injuries already sustained.
  • If you’ll continue to suffer symptoms in the future.

Their findings will be detailed in a report that will then be sent to your solicitor who’ll use it to both prove and value your claim.

How Do Data Protection And Data Privacy Breach Claims Work?

As we have offered a lot of information about claiming for a breach of data protection, we are going to reiterate the process in this section. In the first instance, you need to contact Compare The Market and complain if you believe that they have caused you to suffer. If you are unhappy with the company’s response, you should be told how to escalate your complaint further.

Should this still not rectify your complaint, you have the option to ask the ICO if they’d investigate for you. At the same time, you might be able to take legal action to sue for the suffering that a data breach has caused.

Legal Expert is able to help with data protection breach claims against Compare The Market. During a no-obligation telephone consultation, a specialist will work with you to understand your case better. If it appears that your case is strong enough, the advisor could connect you with one of our specialist data breach lawyers. As we will explain shortly, any claim that is taken on will be funded by a No Win No Fee agreement.

If you’re ready to discuss a claim, please gather any evidence you have available and contact a specialist today.

Why Claim With A Data Breach Solicitor?

Now that you understand a bit more about claiming compensation for a GDPR breach, you might want to know more about choosing a data breach solicitor to help you. Sometimes, it might be possible to find a local solicitor to help. In other cases, you might ask a friend to recommend a solicitor, or you could read online reviews about data breach solicitors.

Alternatively, you might just call Legal Expert to discuss your claim for free. We will answer as many questions as necessary, even if you don’t proceed with a claim. If your case is taken on by one of our experienced solicitors, they will:

  • Review all aspects of the claim with you.
  • Help you to gather evidence to back up your claim.
  • Arrange for you to have a local medical assessment.
  • Collate all the required information before submitting your claim.
  • Communicate with the defendant’s insurers or legal representatives.
  • Ensure you receive regular updates about your case.
  • Explain complex legal jargon where necessary.
  • Be there to answer any queries that arise during your claim.

If you work with us to make a Compare The Market data breach claim, your solicitor will try their hardest to ensure you receive a full and fair compensation settlement.

No Win No Fee Data Protection Breach Claims Against Compare The Market

We know from our decades of working for our clients that the one thing that can prevent claims from happening more than anything else is when you’re worried about the cost of taking on legal representation. Therefore, if your claim for a GDPR data breach is taken on by a solicitor from our team, it will be funded by a No Win No Fee agreement. Our service allows you access to specialist legal support but with reduced financial risks.

If you decide to claim compensation for a breach of the GDPR, a solicitor will need to check if the case is viable. If you and the solicitor agree to proceed, you’ll be given a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to review (the formal name for a No Win No Fee agreement). The CFA is a contract that explains what the solicitor needs to achieve if they are to be paid. Additionally, it will explain that:

  • Claims can begin quickly because no upfront payment is required.
  • You’ll not be asked to pay any solicitor’s fees while your claim is being handled.
  • If your claim is not won, you won’t be asked to cover any solicitor’s fees at all.

The main criteria that need to be met before your solicitor is paid are that the claim is won, and you are compensated. When that is the case, the solicitor will keep a small percentage of your compensation. So that you’re aware of this before you agree to work with your solicitor, the ‘success fee’ is listed in your CFA. We should tell you that, by law, success fees are capped.

If you want to find out if you could proceed on a No Win No Fee basis, please get in touch with our specialists today.

Begin A Claim With A Data Breach Solicitor

You have almost reached the end of this guide on data breach claims against Compare The Market. If you have decided that you would like to let us review your case, please get in touch by:

If you contact us to discuss claiming compensation for a GDPR data breach, we’ll keep the process as straightforward as possible. An advisor will consider your claim during a no-obligation telephone consultation.

During the call, you’ll be provided with free advice about your options. If the case appears viable, you could be referred to a data breach solicitor from our team. As discussed earlier, if they accept your claim, it will be handled using a No Win No Fee agreement. Please note that our claim line is open 24-hours a day so you can begin when it suits you.

Learn More About Data Breaches

Thank you for visiting the Legal Expert website today. As we have come to the end of this article about claiming for the suffering caused by a breach of data protection, we are going to concentrate on providing you with some additional information. Please take a look at the links below which might help if you decide to claim for GDPR breach.

Compare The Market Privacy Policy – A comprehensive page explaining how your personal data is used when you compare insurance policies.

Data Portability – This ICO guide explains why you should be provided with personal data in a format that is accessible.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – Detailed information from the NHS about how PTSD occurs and what treatments are available.

As Legal Expert provides support for many different types of claims, we have listed a few more of our guides below:

Fatal Car Accident Claims – Details on your right to claim if a loved one has been killed in a road traffic accident.

Delayed Treatment Claims – Advice on how we could help if you’ve suffered because medical treatment was delayed.

Other Useful Compensation Guides

Please feel free to get in touch to see if your case could be taken on by a data breach solicitor from our team.

 

Guide by Hambridge

Edited by Billing