Are you worried that your data has been stolen? Do you know what to do if a company’s data breach leads to the theft of your private, sensitive information? When your privacy is violated and your data were stolen, it’s natural to feel powerless, as if there’s nothing you can do. However, Belal Hamideh, a knowledgeable data breach lawyer, can help. When you give your information to a company, you expect them to protect it. When they fail to take adequate measures to keep a data breach from occurring, that’s not your fault. You deserve to be compensated for your data having been stolen. That’s where Belal comes in. You can contact him for a free consultation today.
What Does a Data Breach Lawyer Do?
We can help in various ways, depending on your specific situation. We aggressively represent our clients when their data have been breached and they claim damages, fighting to get them the compensation they deserve.
Alternatively, we provide counsel to our clients on every aspect of consumer privacy law. Through our experience and understanding of both modern tech and the law, we work with our clients so that they know how to best protect their company.
How Do I Know If My Online Information Has Been Compromised?
There are multiple ways that you may be able to tell if your information was compromised. If you believe that your data may have been breached, then reaching out to an attorney knowledgeable about such matters may be the best course of action.
Perhaps the most common way you can tell if hackers stole your personal information is if you see charges to your bank account or credit card that you didn’t authorize. Another all too common possibility: debt calls or even collection notices on debts you do not owe.
It could be that there are mistakes on your credit report, or payments you didn’t make. If you don’t recognize inquiries from some businesses on your credit report, that too could be a sign. Some people, unfortunately, even if they know they have good credit, are denied credit due to a data breach.
It’s possible that even your taxes could be affected. Being required to prove your identity to the IRS in person for submission, or that your electronic tax return was rejected, are all clear signs. Again, if you were a victim of a data breach, it’s worth it to reach out to us.
What Can I Do If My Data Privacy Was Violated?
The first step, in our modern, digital age, is to change all of your passwords. You should do that anyway on a regular basis. However, it’s easy to forget to do so. When you change your passwords, also be certain to enable two-factor authentication, too. That makes it much, much more difficult for hackers to get your information in the future.
Once your data was violated, unfortunately, it’s a good idea to watch your accounts as closely as possible while monitoring your credit reports. That way, you can catch any illicit transactions. Speaking of credit, be sure to contact the credit bureau as well.
With your specific situation, you may be best served by filing a police report. We can advise you as to whether or not to do that when you reach out to us.
What Damages Can I Suffer From Data Breach?
If your data was breached, then you may be able to claim damages. The most common of these damages is when your data is misused. Your money was stolen, your taxes were filed fraudulently, your credit status was harmed, you may have even lost property or there was criminal activity committed in your name. That’s the damage that most people are familiar with.
However, you may also be able to claim that you are, as a result of the data breach, at a heightened risk of injury. You may be able to do this even if your leaked information hasn’t been used by the hackers yet. Additionally, you may be able to claim that your personal data, now that is’ been stolen and released, has less value.
You may be able to claim emotional distress as well. When your data is breached, that can make it much more difficult (and genuinely scary) to go through your day-to-day life and activities. You may even have to deal with medical expenses (potentially long-term) due to this harm.
“Consequential” and “Mitigation” damages are also something you can claim. In this, you would claim that the company you entrusted your data to was negligent, so you didn’t know to take the kind of measures that could have potentially protected your information. Thus, you’ll be in a position where you have to fund your recovery all on your own.
Speaking of the company you entrusted your data to, you may be able to claim “expectation” damages. With these damages, you’re to receive compensation to return you to the same financial position you would have maintained had the defendant not taken actions that failed to protect your data. An example of this: think of a store. Would you shop there if you knew the store wasn’t doing much to protect your data?
When you reach out to us for a free consultation, we can sit down with you to figure out the damages for you to claim.
Can I Sue for Data Breaches? How?
You can sue for data breaches. The best step you can take (after performing the actions mentioned above to make sure that your data is safe moving forward) is to reach out to an experienced attorney. From there, we’ll sit down with you and figure out the best way to move forward with your case.
It’s important to note that, while we want to sue those who stole your data, that might not always be possible. They could continue to escape the authorities. However, you can bring a suit against the company which you gave your data. If they were negligent, reckless, or otherwise unable to keep your information safe, then they should have a suit brought against them. If we take your case, we will represent you aggressively to prove exactly that.
Data Breach Class Action Lawsuits
Many who have their data stolen join class action lawsuits. In these cases, many data breach victims join their suits together to have one case against a defendant. You may have read about many of these cases in the news. Equifax, Anthem, Marriott, Home Depot, Target, Ashley Madison, and others.
After all, a data breach rarely affects just one person. As a lawyer for class action lawsuits, Belal and the team here can help you to receive everything that you deserve.
How Much Can I Get From a Data Breach Lawsuit?
Every case and situation is different. It depends on many different factors: the information stolen, how much money was lost, how many victims there were, and so forth. A majority of these cases end in a settlement. If necessary, we’ll be glad to take your case to court. There, we’ll represent you aggressively, helping you to receive the maximum compensation.
You may receive compensation for your losses from those unauthorized charges, of course. However, you may also receive compensation for expenses for accountants, notary fees, postage, mileage, and much more. When you meet with us, we’ll discuss potential compensation based on the facts of your case.
Find a Data Breach Lawyer at Belal Hamideh Law
You didn’t ask to have your data breached. When that breach negatively affects your life, steals your money, wastes your time, damages your mental health, and puts you in harm’s way, you deserve to be compensated for it. That’s where Belal comes in. As a data breach lawyer, he and the team can help you through every step of the process. Hablamos Espanol. You can contact him for a free consultation via phone call or through our contact form.