Examples Of An Email Data Breach

This guide will provide email data breach examples. If your personal data has been affected in a breach of this nature, it may have caused you financial or emotional damage. If you are eligible, you could seek compensation to address the harm you have experienced. We will explore the eligibility criteria in more detail throughout this guide as well as the compensation that could be awarded if you make a successful claim.

email data breach examples

Email Data Breach Examples

Additionally, we will look at what personal data is and the responsibilities certain third parties have to protect it.

Furthermore, we will discuss the ways in which a No Win No Fee data breach solicitor could help you.

If you require any other information, please get in touch with an advisor from our team. They can offer free advice pertaining to your potential claim. Also, if they find your case is valid and has a chance of success, they could connect you with a solicitor from our panel.

To get in touch, you can:

Jump To A Section

  1. When Are You Able To Claim For An Email Data Breach?
  2. Potential Email Data Breach Examples
  3. What Compensation Could You Receive From A Data Breach Claim?
  4. Use Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Data Breach Compensation Claim
  5. Learn More About Email Data Breach Examples

When Are You Able To Claim For An Email Data Breach?

In order to begin a claim for a breach of your personal data, the following must be demonstrated:

  • A data controller or data processor failed to uphold the responsibilities they have under data protection legislation.
  • As a result of their wrongful conduct, your personal data was compromised in a breach.
  • This breach caused you to suffer either financial damage, emotional harm or both.

The party responsible for setting the purpose for processing your personal data is called a data controller. They can also process the data themselves. However, in other cases, they outsource this task to a data processor.

Both parties have a responsibility under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) to protect your personal data. If they fail to do so, they could face investigation and fines from the independent watchdog called the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The ICO cannot award compensation but they are responsible for upholding the rights and freedoms of data subjects. As such, you could make a complaint to them if your personal data is compromised.

For more information on eligibility for seeking data breach compensation, please get in touch on the number above. Alternatively, continue reading for email data breach examples and the information that could be compromised.

Potential Email Data Breach Examples

The ICO defines a personal data breach as a security incident in which the integrity, availability and confidentiality of your personal data is compromised.

Personal data is any information that can be used to identify you as a living person. For example, your name, address and date of birth. Additionally, other personal data requires extra protection due to it being sensitive in nature. This is known as special category data and can include data concerning your health or revealing your racial or ethnic origin.

Email data breach examples can include:

  • An email containing confirmation of a hospital appointment, including reference to your medical condition, is sent to the wrong recipient.
  • There is a failure to use the ‘blind copy carbon’ (BCC) feature when including other recipients in a group email.

To discuss your specific circumstances and find out whether you could be eligible to seek compensation, get in touch on the number above.

What Compensation Could You Receive From A Data Breach Claim?

A successful email data breach claim could result in compensation that addresses two types of damage. The first is called non-material damage which refers to psychological harm, such as stress, distress and anxiety, caused by the personal data breach.

Legal professionals can refer to the Judicial College Guidelines to value this aspect of your settlement. This document contains guideline award brackets, some of which we have included in the following table.

However, you should only use them as a guide because your settlement will vary depending on your specific circumstances.

Type of HarmSeverity and Award BracketDefinition
Mental Harm(a) Severe - £54,830 to £115,730


The person will experience marked problems with different areas of their life, including their ability to cope with life and work as well as an impact on their relationships. There is a very poor prognosis as a result.
Mental Harm(b) Moderately Severe - £19,070 to £54,830Significant problems with several areas of their life but a better prognosis.
Mental Harm(c) Moderate - £5,860 to £19,070A significant improvement and a good prognosis.
Mental Harm(d) Less Severe - £1,540 to £5,860Consideration is given to how long and to what extent the person was affected.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)(a) Severe - £59,860 to £100,670


Permanent issues that affect all aspects of the person's life and prevent them from returning to the same level as before the trauma.
PTSD(b) Moderately Severe - £23,150 to £59,860


Similar issues to the above bracket which are likely to cause a significant disability in the future but the prognosis is better.
PTSD(c) Moderate - £8,180 to £23,150A large recovery with any ongoing issues not being grossly disabling.
PTSD(d) Less Severe - £3,950 to £8,180A mostly full recovery with a couple of years and only minor issues persisting for a longer period.

Material Losses In An Email Data Breach

Additionally, compensation could be awarded for material damage. This refers to any financial losses incurred due to the personal data breach. This can include:

  • Money stolen from your bank account
  • Credit card debt due to loans being taken out in your name

Proof of these losses will be required, such as bank statements and credit card reports.

Speak to our team for more information on the compensation you could receive following a successful data breach claim.

Use Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Data Breach Compensation Claim

Although working with a data breach solicitor is not a legal requirement for starting a claim, they could offer several beneficial services, such as:

  • Helping you gather evidence to support your case
  • Building and presenting your case in full
  • Ensuring you start the process within the relevant time period
  • Valuing your settlement

The data breach solicitors on our panel could offer their services under a specific kind of No Win No Fee agreement. The contract they can offer is a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This typically means:

  • No upfront or ongoing fees for your solicitor’s services are required.
  • There is no requirement to pay for the solicitor’s work if your case is unsuccessful.

If there is a successful outcome, you will pay a success fee from your compensation, which is subject to a legislative cap. This allows you to always receive the majority of your compensation.

If you would like more information on whether you could seek data breach compensation after an email data breach, get in touch with an advisor. They can assess whether you’re eligible to have a solicitor from our panel represent your case.

To get in touch, you can:

Learn More About Email Data Breach Examples

In addition to this guide on email data breach examples, you can read more of our guides relating to data breach claims:

Furthermore, we have provided some helpful external resources:

Thank you for reading this guide on email data breach examples and when you could be eligible to claim. If you have any other questions, please get in touch using the number above.

Writer Jeff Walker

Editor Meg Monsoon