How To Claim Police Data Breach Compensation

You expect your personal data to be handled securely and confidentially, especially by the police. If they fail to protect your data, this can feel like a serious breach of trust and leave you feeling distressed, vulnerable, and unsure of what to do next. Whether your data was accessed unlawfully or shared without permission, this could lead to you suffering psychological and financial harm. If the police fail to abide by data protection laws, causing your personal data to be compromised, you could be eligible to make a personal data breach claim. Here at Accident Claims, we want to help you make your police data breach compensation claim.

Where the police have sent data to the wrong recipient, failed to update their cybersecurity measures, or shared your data without authorisation, you have the right to seek compensation if this has caused you harm.

You could be able to claim compensation for both your financial losses and mental harm caused by the personal data breach. Evidence such as your medical records, invoices, and correspondence with the police force regarding the breach can all help to support your claim. One of our solicitors can help gather this evidence as well as present your compensation claim. 

Here at Accident Claims, we have extensive experience handling a variety of data breach claims. We have recovered over £100 million in compensation for our clients. We will work tirelessly to build a strong claim on your behalf while keeping you informed throughout. Additionally, we will provide all our services to you on a No Win No Fee basis. Contact us today to see if you could claim data breach compensation.

Jump To A Section

1. What Is A Data Breach Claim?
2. Can I Claim Police Data Breach Compensation?
3. Who Is Liable When A Police Data Breach Occurs?
4. Examples Of How Police Might Breach Your Data
5. The Impacts Of A Police Data Breach
6. How Much Compensation Could I Receive In A Police Data Breach Claim?
7. What Will I Need To Bring A Data Breach Claim Against The Police?
8. Police Data Breach Compensation With Accident Claims
9. Learn More

What Is A Data Breach Claim?

A data breach claim is a type of compensation claim you can make for the mental and financial harm you have suffered due to your personal data being breached by an organisation failing to adhere to data protection laws.

When the police breach your personal data, this can lead to serious emotional distress, anxiety, and concerns about your privacy and safety, particularly where sensitive information has been exposed without authorisation. In some cases, a police data breach may also result in financial losses or long-term psychological harm. At Accident Claims, our solicitors can assess your case, explain your rights, and help you seek compensation to address this harm.

You can continue reading this guide to learn when you may have an eligible data breach claim. You can also contact us here at Accident Claims to discuss your particular case, receive free advice and answers you may have about the claiming process.

 

Can I Claim Police Data Breach Compensation?

Yes, you could claim police data breach compensation if the police force was responsible for the compromise of your personal data by failing to adhere to data protection laws, leading you to suffer mental harm, financial harm, or both.

The police may hold personal data of yours if you’ve made a report to them, are a witness to a crime, or are a suspect. This could include your name, home address, and phone number. When the police force is processing your personal data, they need to adhere to data protection laws. These are the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).

If the police fail to adhere to the rules and regulations set out in the UK GDPR and the DPA, this could lead to a breach of your personal data. A data breach is classified as a security incident in which your personal data’s integrity, availability, and confidentiality is affected.

If said personal data breach causes you to suffer financial harm, mental harm, or both, you could be eligible to make a claim for police data breach compensation.

If you would like to discuss the validity of your claim and receive free advice on what steps you could take next, you can contact us today. We are here to help.

Who Is Liable When A Police Data Breach Occurs?

Generally, the police force that was processing your personal data would be liable when a police data breach occurs, provided that they did not adhere to data protection laws.

When the police are processing your personal data, regardless of whether you are a suspect, witness to a crime, or have made a report to them, they must do everything they can to protect your data and ensure they are adhering to the rules and regulations within the UK GDPR and the DPA. This could include ensuring their cybersecurity measures are up to date, that police officers and other staff have received data protection training, and that online documents are protected behind passwords.

At Accident Claims, our solicitors regularly help identify the party responsible for a breach of personal data. To find out if you could pursue the police force, or a related organisation for police data breach compensation, speak to a member of the advisory team now. 

Examples Of How Police Might Breach Your Data

Examples of how the police might breach your data include due to human error or cyber attacks. Below we list some in-depth examples.

• You were a witness to a crime, and the police officer you gave a statement to stored your personal details in case you needed to be contacted again in the future regarding the crime. However, due to the police not updating their cybersecurity measures, your personal data was stolen in a cyber attack. This causes you immense anxiety.
• You reported your ex-partner for domestic abuse, and there is currently an ongoing investigation. The police sent a letter containing your personal data to your old address, despite the fact that you had updated them of your new one. This causes you fear that your ex-partner will know where you are, and you have to pay to relocate.
• You were arrested on suspicion of a crime but were released. The investigation is underway, but due to a lack of data training, your personal details are posted on your local police area’s social media accounts. This causes you anxiety and fear.

Find out if you could be eligible to claim police data breach compensation for your specific case by contacting our advisors today. Our solicitors have taken on a variety of data breach claims on a No Win No Fee basis. 

The Impacts Of A Police Data Breach

The impacts of a police data breach can be both psychological and financial, with far-reaching consequences. Accident Claims can help ensure that you are adequately compensated for the impacts of the police force data breach. 

Some examples could include, but are not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Fear
• Lost earnings
• Therapy fees
• Relocation and security fees.

Regardless of what impacts you have experienced due to police breaching your personal data, we are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your compensation claim.

How Much Compensation Could I Receive In A Police Data Breach Claim?

How much compensation you could receive in a police data breach claim will depend on the type of mental harm you suffered, its severity, and whether you also suffered financial losses.

Any psychological injuries resulting from a personal data breach are referred to as your non-material damage. When our solicitors value your non-material damage, they can make reference to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document lists a variety of physical and mental injuries alongside guideline compensation brackets for each based on their severity.

In the following table, we have used some of the JCG’s figures for psychological injuries. Please remember that these are guidelines only. Furthermore, the top entry in this table has not been taken from the JCG.

Injury	Notes	Compensation Guidelines
Severe mental harm and also financial losses	Compensation for suffering a severe mental injury as well as financial losses such as lost earnings, therapy fees, and relocation costs.	Up to £250,000+
Psychiatric Damage - Severe	The prognosis is very poor, and the person will have marked problems with future vulnerability and coping with daily life.	£72,440 to £152,900
Psychiatric Damage - Moderately Severe	Compared to severe cases, the prognosis is more optimistic, but there will still be significant problems.	£25,190 to £72,440
Psychiatric Damage - Moderate	The person will have suffered with problems, but marked improvements will have been made, and the prognosis will be good.	£7,740 to £25,190
Psychiatric Damage - Less Severe	The length of disability and to what extent daily activities and sleep were impacted will be taken into consideration.	£2,040 to £7,740
PTSD - Severe	Permanent effects prevent the person working or functioning as they did before the trauma.	£79,080 to £133,000
PTSD - Moderately Severe	A better prognosis than severe cases, with some recovery possible with help from a professional.	£30,580 to £79,080
PTSD - Moderate	A large recovery will have been made with any persisting effects not being grossly disabling.	£10,810 to £30,580
PTSD - Less Severe	Within 1 to 2 years a virtually full recovery will have been made, with only minor symptoms persisting longer than this.	£5,220 to £10,810

Can I Claim For The Financial Impacts Of A Police Data Breach?

Yes, you can claim for the financial impacts of a police data breach as part of your compensation. Any financial losses you have suffered due to a personal data breach is referred to as your material damage. Examples of material damage you could claim compensation for include:

• Any therapy fees you have needed to pay for due to the mental harm you suffered.
• The cost of any anti-depressants or other medications for your psychological harm.
• Any lost earnings you experienced due to taking time off work from the stress of the data breach.
• The costs of home security or relocation fees if you fear for your safety after your home address was compromised due to the police data breach (for example, if you reported an abusive ex-partner or are a witness in an investigation).

We will make sure that all of your non-material and material damage is accounted for in your compensation. To learn more about how we could help you with claiming compensation, you can contact us today.

What Will I Need To Bring A Data Breach Claim Against The Police?

To bring a data breach claim against the police, you will need to prove what personal data was compromised, how the police were responsible and what harm you suffered. This is something the solicitors here at Accident Claims can help with, so you can focus on getting your life back on track. Below, we explore the various steps you could take to support your data breach claim. Don’t worry if you haven’t taken any of these steps, just speak to one of our advisors and if it seems like you have a valid claim, they can connect you to a specialist data breach solicitor to help. 

Identify What Data Was Breached

You should first confirm what personal data of yours was breached. You should confirm whether you were informed of the breach or whether you discovered it. 

Gather And Preserve Evidence

You should gather evidence that confirms the data breach and the harm you suffered. Examples could include:

• The confirmation email or letter from the police informing you that your personal data was breached.
• Your medical records confirm your psychological harm.
• Payslips and bank statements proving financial losses.

Contact The Organisation

Following a personal data breach, you should contact the organisation responsible to find out more information. You should ask them to confirm:

• What data was compromised
• How the breach occurred
• What steps they are taking to minimise any further harm
• What steps they are taking to help stop a similar breach from happening again

You should keep a copy of all correspondence.

Report The Breach To The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent authority responsible for enforcing data protection laws. As part of their role, they can investigate certain data breaches, including those reported by members of the public. If you are reporting, you should know that they don’t investigate every breach and you must do so within 3 months of the last meaningful communication with the police force that breached your data. Furthermore, you do not need to report the incident to the ICO to claim police data breach compensation. 

Seek Legal Advice

The data breach claims process can seem complex. By seeking expert advice from us here at Accident Claims, we can confirm whether you have a valid claim, provide a valuation of the compensation you may be entitled to, and offer our services to you.

If you would like to learn more about how we could help you with your specific claim, you can contact us today.

Police Data Breach Compensation With Accident Claims

Claims for police data breach compensation can be made with us here at Accident Claims. We have immense experience helping our clients with their data breach claims, and have obtained over £100 million in compensation for them overall.

Why Choose Our Expert Data Breach Solicitors To Claim?

You should choose our expert data breach solicitors to claim, as we understand that this may be a stressful time for you, and therefore can handle the claims process on your behalf. Some of the expert services we can offer you to help build a strong case on your behalf include:

• Handling all communication with the relevant police force regarding the data breach and your claim.
• Organising an independent medical assessment with a psychiatrist to obtain a full assessment of the mental harm you suffered and how it will affect you and your life moving forward.
• Negotiating your compensation settlement to cover both the mental and financial harm you have suffered due to the personal data breach.
• Gathering supporting evidence on your behalf, such as your medical records, financial records, and any communication with the police regarding the breach.
• Helping to ensure that your breached data is secure and advising you on cybersecurity.

Police Data Breach Compensation On A No Win No Fee Basis

Police data breach compensation can be claimed with us on a No Win No Fee basis. By offering our services to you under the terms of a No Win No Fee agreement (specifically a Conditional Fee Agreement), this could help ease some of the financial stress you may have about hiring legal representation. When claiming with our No Win No Fee solicitors, you can experience the following:

• Not having to pay for our solicitors’ services prior to starting work on your claim
• Having no service fees to pay during the progression of your claim
• Not having to pay for our completed services if the claim fails

However, should the claim succeed and you are awarded compensation, we will take a small success fee from it. Do not worry, this success fee will be a legally limited percentage, meaning the majority of the compensation will stay with you.

Contact Accident Claims

Contact us here at Accident Claims today to see if you could be eligible to make a data breach compensation claim, and how we could help you.

• Call us on 0800 073 8801
• Contact us online
• Use our live chat

Learn More

Learn more about the different types of data breach claims that could be made:

• Guidance on making a medical data breach compensation claim.
• More information on who is legally liable for a data breach.
• Advice on if you can sue a company for a data breach.

Some helpful resources:

• Personal data breach management and reporting of police forces in England and Wales from the ICO.
• Guidance for individuals and families from the National Cyber Security Centre.
• Make a data protection complaint via Gov.UK.

Thank you for reading this guide on making a police data breach compensation claim.