When we share our information, we expect that airlines or travel companies will adhere to data protection legislation in order to protect this data. Unfortunately, your flight information can be compromised in a number of ways, typically due to an organisation or businesses failure to comply with and work in accordance with data protection laws. Experiencing a flight information data breach could have uniquely damaging impacts, with profound implications.
Suffering a personal data breach can lead to severe psychological distress, which can often be exacerbated by financial losses, particularly if you’ve been left unable to work as a result of the breach.
At a difficult time, you shouldn’t face these worries alone. With our guidance and support, flight information data breach claims could help you seek much-needed compensation. Although a claim can’t undo the damage caused by the data breach, it can be used to fund any private medical treatments, therapies or reimburse you for the financial losses caused by the data breach.
Read on to learn more about our panel of expert data breach solicitors, and find out whether you’d be eligible to make a claim with us. Alternatively, you can get in contact with us using the contact details below.
Get In Touch With Our Advisors
For a free case consultation, you can reach our advisors by:
- Calling us on 020 8050 3051
- Contacting us online
- Speaking to an advisor using the live chat
We Can Help With Your Claim
Our team of specialist advisors are ready to assist you with your data breach claim
Choose A Section
- Can You Claim For A Flight Information Data Breach? – A Guide
- How Could A Flight Information Data Breach Happen?
- Evidence That Could Help You Make A Breach Of Data Protection Claim
- What Could You Receive From A Data Protection Breach Claim?
- What Are The Benefits Of Using Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors?
- Learn More About Making A Flight Information Data Breach Claim
Can You Claim For A Flight Information Data Breach? – A Guide
Yes, you can claim for a flight information data breach if we can determine that it was wrongfully compromised as a result of an organisation’s failure to adhere to and uphold data protection legislation, which led to you suffering psychological and/or financial harm.
Before we can explore the eligibility requirements above, we must discuss the legislation that governs data handling and protection within the UK. Both the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) work together to ensure that organisations and businesses handle, process and store data with a focus on protecting this data.
There are two categories of personal data, called personal and special category data. Your personal data is any information that could directly identify you. This can include any information relating to your:
- Gender, date of birth, ethnicity or religion
- Name, address and phone number
- Credit or debit card number
Special category data under the UK GDPR is defined as data requiring additional protection, as it is data containing sensitive personal information. This could include:
- Information about your race
- Political stance
- Religious or philosophical beliefs
- Biometric or genetic data
- Trade union membership
Organisations such as airports or airline companies have significant legal obligations when handling and storing personal data. This is with the purpose of upholding data protection and security. If they fail to comply with the legal requirements expected of them under the UK GDPR and the DPA, they could be liable for your compensation if your claim is successful.
So, in order for you to bring a flight information data breach claim, we need to show:
- An organisation such as an airport or airline business with your flight information failed to comply and adhere with data protection legislation
- Your personal data was compromised as a result of this breach
- You suffered psychological harm and/or financial loss following the breach of your flight information
For a free case consultation, please get in touch with our advisors today. They can listen, assess your claim and explain the options available to you.
How Could A Flight Information Data Breach Happen?
There are a few ways that a flight information data breach can happen, including if your flight details were sent to the wrong address or an old address, if an airline loses a device containing this information or even if your flight information is exposed in a group email.
Below, we have provided a few specific examples of how flight information data can be breached:
- Due to human error, your plane ticket is sent to an incorrect postal address. This results in a breach of your personal information stored on the plane ticket including your passport details.
- An airline company fails to install adequate cybersecurity, which results in a cyber attack. Cybercriminals then gain access to your personal flight information data.
- An airline fails to properly train their employees, resulting in a phishing scam. Cybercriminals here trick an airline employee into revealing log in credentials, which allows them access to your flight information.
- An airport accidentally shares your flight information with unauthorised parties in an email data breach.
These examples are illustrative only, and not an exhaustive list of the ways in which your flight information could be breached.
So, if you’d like to discuss the circumstances of your own case, please get in touch with our advisors. They’re on hand to listen and answer any questions you might have.
Evidence That Could Help You Make A Breach Of Data Protection Claim
Evidence can be really helpful when bringing a flight information data breach claim. These documents can be used to highlight the extent of harm caused by the data breach.
This could include:
- Any financial documents such as receipts, invoices or payslips
- Correspondence confirming the data breach such as an email or notification letter
- The findings of an Information Commissioner’s Office investigation, the ICO enforces data protection laws. As part of their role, they may investigate data breaches.
- Communication with the ICO if you’ve reported the breach within 3 months of your last communication with the airline or travel company. If you report the incident to the ICO, they might investigate, confirm a data breach or even issue a fine to the responsible organisation.
- Medical records illustrating the psychological harm you’ve suffered including any treatments or prescriptions you’ve been given after the flight information data breach
One of our specialist data breach solicitors from our panel could help you with gathering these documents. Get in touch with us today to learn more about the evidence that could assist your flight information data breach claim.
What Could You Receive From A Data Protection Breach Claim?
In a flight information data breach claim, compensation can be awarded for non-material damage (psychiatric harm) and material damage (financial losses).
When your claim is being valued, professionals can use documents such as the Judicial College Guidelines to assist in calculating your non-material damage. The JCG is a framework which offers categories of different types of harm, and severities with a guideline compensation bracket.
Our table below outlines some of the brackets from the JCG for psychological damage. Please note that the top entry has not been taken from the JCG and these are guidelines only.
| Harm | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Psychological Damage + Material Damage | Severe Psychiatric Damage and compensation for material damage including lost earnings, private medical costs or relocation expenses | Up to £500,000+ |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Severe (a) consideration will be made for the injured person's future vulnerability, their prognosis and whether any medical assistance has been sought | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| Moderately Severe (b) there will be significant issues related to bracket above, but a much more optimistic prognosis | £23,270 - £66,920 | |
| Moderate (c) good prognosis with marked improvement by trial | £7,150 to £23,270 | |
| Less Severe (d) the duration of the disability and extent to which daily activities or sleep were impacted will be taken into consideration | £1,880 to £7,150 | |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Severe (a) this extent of PTSD will prevent the injured person from functioning near the pre-trauma level | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Moderately Severe (b) better prognosis than above, but still significant disability for the forseeable future | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| Moderate (c) a large recovery will have been made, with any continuing effects not being grossly disabling | £9,980 to £28,250 | |
| Less Severe (d) a virtual full recovery made within one to two years, with only minor symptoms persisting | £4,820 to £9,980 |
Can I Be Compensated For Anything Else?
Yes, as we discussed above, you could also receive compensation for any material damage caused by a flight information data breach. This could include:
- Lost earnings if you’ve had to take time off work after experiencing psychological harm
- If you have to relocate, any associated costs or security expenses if your safety is at risk or you fear this
- Any private medical costs such as therapies that aid in your recovery
In order to be compensated for this material damage, you will need evidence that shows the financial losses. This can include medical records of any treatments, invoices, receipts and bank statements.
Contact our advisory team today for more information on how flight information data breach compensation is calculated and for an estimate of how much compensation you could receive.
We Can Help With Your Claim
Our team of specialist advisors are ready to assist you with your data breach claim
What Are The Benefits Of Using Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Data Breach Solicitors?
Some of the benefits that come with using our panel of No Win No Fee data breach solicitors include regular contact about the progress of your case, support when gathering evidence that builds the body of evidence needed and simple explanations of the legal complexities, including the claims process and any legal language.
In addition to this, working with our panel of expert solicitors can offer you:
- Assistance when gathering documents that prove how your flight information data breach occurred, and how it led to your psychological or financial damages
- Help with connecting you to rehabilitation specialists who can assist in your mental recovery
- An estimate of how much flight information data breach compensation you could receive
- Negotiation of a settlement that reflects all the harm caused by the data breach
Moreover, at Data Breach Claims, our panel of expert solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, through the use of a contract called a Conditional Fee Agreement.
You might’ve heard of this type of claim before, but mightn’t know how it would impact your case. Under this type of agreement, you wouldn’t have to pay solicitors’ fees upfront in order for one from our panel to start working on your case.
Not only this, but you wouldn’t face ongoing solicitors’ fees during the progression of your claim, and arguably most crucially, you’d have nothing to pay towards the work of a solicitor from our panel if your claim were unsuccessful.
On the flipside, if your case was successful, then a small fee would be deducted from your compensation as a pre-agreed percentage. This acts as our panel’s success fee, which is legally capped in line with the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, to make sure that clients receive the majority of their compensation.
If this type of claim interests you, please get in touch with our advisory team to begin your claim today.
Contact Data Breach Claims To Get Started
Get in touch with our advisors by:
- Calling us on 020 8050 3051
- Contacting us online
- Speaking to an advisor using the live chat
Learn More About Making A Flight Information Data Breach Claim
Why not read more of our guides about:
- How to claim for a solicitor data breach
- Domestic abuse data breach claims and how we can help
- How to seek compensation for a work data breach
Helpful External Resources
- How to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office
- Governmental guidance on data protection
- NHS information on post-traumatic stress disorder
Thank you for reading our flight information data breach guide.