FAQs about making a DVLA data breach claim
April 13, 2022
To find out if you are eligible to join our action, here are some of the most frequent questions we have been asked about making a DVLA data breach claim.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) passes the names and addresses of registered vehicle owners to private parking companies so they can issue parking charge notices (PCNs). These fines are often invalid or inaccurate.
We believe that the way the DVLA shares personal data breaches the Data Protection Act.
In total, around 16 million people may be affected by this illegal handling of data. If you are one of these people, you could be due thousands of pounds in compensation.
If you received a private parking fine from 2016 to the present day you could have a compensation claim.
Keller Lenkner UK has launched a DVLA data breach action to help protect the data rights of those affected. Group actions can be a powerful tool and have a bigger impact than a single claim.
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE AFFECTED BY THE DVLA DATA BREACH, CONTACT US TO FIND OUT ABOUT MAKING A NO-WIN, NO-FEE DATA BREACH COMPENSATION CLAIM.
Anyone who has been issued with a parking charge notice (PCN) from a private parking company since 2016 could be affected by this data violation. To start a claim, you will need to provide us with:
REGISTER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KELLER LENKNER UK DVLA DATA BREACH GROUP ACTION.
Talk to our expert data breach lawyers today on 0151 459 5850
The DVLA manages a vast amount of data. This includes drivers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, photographs, entitlements, endorsements, convictions, and relevant medical information. The DVLA also holds information about vehicle registration numbers, identification numbers, makes and models, emissions and tax status.
The DVLA claims that it only passes data to third parties where there are “practical motoring benefits”.
However, by sharing the data in ways that deviate from the purpose for which it was collected, we believe that the DVLA is breaching the data rights of registered vehicle owners across the UK.
When it comes to data protection botches and abuses, it is not just about data breaches. Too many organisations fail to uphold our data rights in other ways. Under the GDPR, your data can only be processed for “specified, explicit and legitimate” purposes. It also must be kept accurate, up-to-date, and safe. You must also provide your consent for how it can be used.
While the DVLA’s privacy policy states that it may share personal data with private parking companies, we do not believe that this squares with the purpose for which the data was collected in the first place (vehicle registration for taxation, licences, etc). The sale of personal data is also prohibited under UK data protection law.
Companies collecting your data must also undertake a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) to make sure personal data is being lawfully used and processed, our investigations show that is not happening.
By passing your data to private parking companies to issue fines, the DVLA is breaching the confidence of registered vehicle keepers (the person who looks after the car) and breaking data protection law.
In response, Keller Lenkner UK is:
CONTACT US TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN GET YOU COMPENSATION FOR THE MISUSE OF YOUR DATA.
* The DVLA claims that it does not profit from the release of information, but that it charges a fee to cover the cost of providing the information. However, under GDPR the DVLA is prohibited from charging a fee and effectively selling personal data.
In 2020, a Freedom of Information Request uncovered that the DVLA had reported almost 200 data breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) across 2019/2020. The ICO is the UK’s data protection watchdog. These privacy failures could have repercussions on those whose information has been exposed. The sheer volume of breaches reported prove that the DVLA has a serious data protection problem.
You could have a claim if you received a private parking fine from 2016 to the present day.
You could also have a further data protection breach case if you received a private parking fine from 2016 to the present day, and any of the following apply:
You could also have a compensation claim if:
To find out if you are eligible to join our action, here are some of the most frequent questions we have been asked about making a DVLA data breach claim.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is passing drivers’ names and addresses to private parking companies so that they can issue parking fines. Our legal experts believe this breaks data protection law. Especially as rogue firms have been uncovered using aggressive tactics when handing out unfair parking tickets.
We believe that the DVLA’s poor data process are routinely letting people down. For example, the DVLA does not ask for anything other than basic information (vehicle, make, model, reg plate) prior to providing personal information for a PCN.
The DVLA does not check if:
Even with a valid ticket, the DVLA often provides private parking companies with incorrect data and breaches data protection rules in other ways. For example, by not keeping its systems up to date and by using your data in ways you did not agree to.
Anyone who has been issued with a parking charge notice (PCN) from a private parking company since 2016 could be affected by this data violation.
To claim compensation with Keller Lenkner UK, you will need:
REGISTER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KELLER LENKNER UK DVLA DATA BREACH GROUP ACTION.
Talk to our expert data breach lawyers today on 0151 459 5850
Ron was given a PCN while parked on a public road opposite a private car park. He paid in full after being threatened with court action. We are helping him make a claim as the fine was invalid, and he has suffered emotional distress and financial loss as a result.
Sarah drove in and out of the same carpark twice in one day. There were no parking spaces, so she did not stop. A private parking company charged her from the time she first drove in, to the time she drove out on her second visit. After an unsuccessful appeal, she turned to Keller Lenkner UK to help her claim compensation for the error.
Aisha was given a PCN because she didn’t pay within the time limit set by a private parking company. She was unable to do this as the payment machine was not working properly. We are helping her claim compensation for this invalid fine.
Sam visited a local hotel bar and used a private car park which provides free parking to customers. However, her vehicle registration was not entered correctly on the hotel’s system, so she was fined for non-payment. Despite being able to prove that she was a customer at the time in question, the parking company refused her appeal and have taken her to court for non-payment. We are helping her get justice.
George visited a retail store and parked in its carpark. He inserted the correct fee into the parking machine, but it failed to deliver a ticket. He has since been issued with a PCN. We are helping him claim compensation for this invalid fine.
Jadyn checked his credit score after being refused credit for a purchase. He was shocked to discover details of a CJJ for non-payment of a PCN for a vehicle he has never owned. The car is registered to an address he used to live at. Jadyn currently needs to pay over £1,000 to clear the debt. We are helping him make a claim for the invalid PCN, the impact on his credit rating, and the emotional distress experienced.
*Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
Find out more about making a group action claim for compensation.
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The DVLA is passing the names and addresses of registered vehicle owners to private parking companies to enable them to issue parking fines. But this does not square with the purpose for which the data was collected in the first place. In addition, we believe that the DVLA is further breaching individual data protection rights by processing data without the proper care and attention.
In response, Keller Lenkner UK has launched a DVLA data breach group action to help protect the data rights of those affected.
The DVLA is selling the names and addresses of registered vehicle owners to private parking companies so they can issue fines. We believe that this is a shocking breach of data protection regulations. As such, we are seeking compensation for infringements of data protection legislation dating back over six years.
If you have been issued with a parking charge notice (PCN) from a private parking company since 2016, you could be affected by this data violation.
You might have a further DVLA data breach claim if:
You could also have a compensation claim if:
To start a claim, you will need to provide us with evidence that you have been issued with a PCN (e.g. payment of the fine, the original PCN etc.). We also need the name of the parking company and the location of the private car park where the fine was issued. If the fine was invalid, we also require evidence to show that your data was processed incorrectly (we might be able to help you find this evidence).
We are only able to help registered vehicle users living in England & Wales.
We cannot say for certain. However, if the DVLA breached your data, you could be due thousands of pounds in compensation.
No-win, no-fee means that you won’t have to pay a penny if your claim is unsuccessful. There are no hidden charges or other administration fees. If your claim is successful, you may have to pay a ‘success fee’. This fee is taken from the compensation awarded to you. At Keller Lenkner UK, our success fee is competitive, and we always explain the costs in full before you appoint us as your data breach lawyers.
The DVLA manages a vast amount of data. This includes drivers’ names, addresses, dates of birth, photographs, entitlements, endorsements, convictions, and relevant medical information. The DVLA also holds information about vehicle registration numbers, identification numbers, makes and models, emissions and tax status.
The DVLA claims that it only passes data to third parties where there are “practical motoring benefits” – this includes private parking companies. However, by processing data without the proper care and attention, by sharing the data in ways that deviate from the purpose for which it was collected, and by not checking that PCNs are valid and correct, we believe that the DVLA is breaching the data rights of registered vehicle owners across the UK.
A group action claim is where a group of people – sometimes even thousands of people – have been affected by the same issue. Group action cases are also known as class actions, multi-claimant, or multi-party actions. A group action allows people with the same type of claim to bring it together on a collective basis to strengthen their overall position and make a big organisation take the matter seriously. This increases their chances of settlement or success in litigation.
While each case is judged on its own merits, there are some things we would typically look for when it comes to when claiming compensation following a data breach, cybercrime or other GDPR violation:
With stolen data, cybercriminals can make purchases using your bank and credit cards, apply for credit in your name, set up fraudulent bank accounts and access your existing online accounts.
GDPR failures, cybercrime and data breaches can have a significant impact on you, both mentally and physically. They can cause or exacerbate anxiety, stress and other psychological conditions.
Keller Lenkner UK has been shortlisted in three categories at the Modern Law Awards 2022. These categories are ‘Business Growth Award’, ‘Innovation of the Year’ and ‘Boutique Law Firm’. We have also been shortlisted for ‘Law Firm of the Year’ at the 2022 LexisNexis Legal Awards.
This follows our 2021 success where we were shortlisted in the ‘Independent Law Firm of the Year’ and ‘Strategic Legal Operations Team of the Year’ categories at The British Legal Awards, and the ‘Disputes Boutique Firm of the Year’ category at The Lawyer Awards.