When mail is sent to the wrong person

A simple and common type of data breach occurs when mail is sent to the wrong person. It can easily happen, and it often does happen, and victims should know their rights.

For the victims, once a data leak like this has taken place, the damage is done. It can be easy for this kind of incident to be brushed off as a simple “human error”, but there can be so much more to it than that. In many cases, an incident like this is very preventable and we really shouldn’t be seeing so many incidents like this at all

If this has happened to you, you shouldn’t have to accept that it’s just ‘one of those things’. As a leading firm of expert data breach compensation lawyers, we know from our years of experience how a data leak can really impact a victim. Here’s how we can help you.

Compensation for when mail is sent to the wrong person

If you have been the victim of a data breach caused when mail is sent to the wrong person – i.e. your data has been sent to someone else – you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Thousands of people have come to us for our help, and many cases involve this kind of data leak. There are so many ways it can happen:

• The wrong data contained in a letter – e.g. n employee working on two separate client matters and mixing up the letters or data sent out;
• Mail merge errors leading to the wrong information sent out to the wrong people en masse;
• Two separate letters being packed together and sent out;
• The incorrect attachments to letters.

All staff need to do is check the work that they’re doing to avoid this kind of data leak. When it comes to IT matters, it’s about making use of proper software and simply getting it right.

What can victims claim for?

When mail is sent to the wrong person, data breach compensation amounts can vary depending on the nature of the data that has been exposed.

When a victim makes a claim, they can pursue compensation for any distress caused by the loss of control of their personal information. We value cases based on factors such as:

• What information has been exposed. If it’s more sensitive, like medical and financial data, a case could be worth more because the impact could be greater;
• The volume of information – in that higher volumes of data exposed can increase distress;
• Who the data has been exposed to;
• Whether there are any financial losses and expenses to also claim for. This could be money stolen or expenses in dealing with the fallout of a breach.

In any event, the impact can vary from person to person.

In these kinds of leaks, it could be all sorts that ends up exposed. It a hospital commits a breach like this, it’s a sensitive medical data claim. If it’s an employer, it could mean the exposure of salary and other financial data. In the wrong hands, even personal contact information and membership numbers and details for organisations can leave victims at risk.

Help and advice

If you have been the victim of an incident where mail is sent to the wrong person, we may be able to represent you for a No Win, No Fee compensation case.

You can contact our team for free, no-obligation advice here.

We’re happy to help.

Has my data been breached?

What to do if your medical records are exposed