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Torrance Personal Injury Lawyers
2916 W 164th St Second Floor, Torrance, CA 90504
Phone: (424) 622-0812
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
California gives you more power over your personal data than almost any other state. The reason is one law: the California Consumer Privacy Act.
The CCPA doesn't just regulate how companies collect and store your information. It gives you the right to sue when they fail to protect it. That's rare. Most privacy laws leave enforcement to government agencies. The CCPA puts power directly in your hands.
If a company let your personal data get exposed because they didn't bother with basic security, you don't have to wait for the government to act. You can take them to court. A CCPA lawyer can help you understand what your claim is worth and how to pursue it.
The California Consumer Privacy Act was signed into law in 2018. It took effect on January 1, 2020. In 2020, California voters passed the CPRA (California Privacy Rights Act), which expanded and strengthened the original law starting in 2023.
The CCPA applies to businesses that collect personal information from California residents and meet at least one of these thresholds:
That covers most major companies you interact with online. Retailers, tech platforms, healthcare companies, financial services, and more.
The law gives California residents four core rights:
These rights exist whether or not a breach has happened. But when a breach does happen, a different section of the law kicks in. That's where lawsuits come from.
Section 1798.150 is the part of the CCPA that matters most if your data was exposed. It creates what lawyers call a "private right of action." In plain English: you can sue.
You have a claim under Section 1798.150 when your nonencrypted and nonredacted personal information is exposed as a result of a business's failure to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures.
That's the key phrase: "reasonable security." If a company stored your Social Security number in an unencrypted database with no password protection, that's not reasonable. If they ignored known vulnerabilities for months, that's not reasonable. The standard is what a responsible business would do to protect sensitive data.
Before you file suit, the CCPA requires you to give the business written notice. They get 30 days to "cure" the violation. In practice, you can't un-breach data. Once it's exposed, it's exposed. Most companies can't cure a breach after the fact, which means the lawsuit moves forward.
This notice step is a legal requirement. Missing it can get your case dismissed. That's one reason working with a data breach lawyer from the start matters.
The private right of action under Section 1798.150 focuses on data breaches caused by poor security. But the CCPA covers a broader range of violations that the California Attorney General can enforce:
For private lawsuits, the breach-based claims under Section 1798.150 are the strongest path. The other violations are typically handled through complaints to the California Attorney General's office.
We'll review your situation for free. No obligation. Available 24/7.
Get Your Free Case ReviewThe CCPA isn't the only law that protects your data. But it's the broadest.
HIPAA protects health information held by healthcare providers, insurers, and their partners. It's narrow. If your health data is breached by a hospital, HIPAA applies. But if a retailer or tech company leaks your data, HIPAA doesn't help. The CCPA covers any personal information, regardless of the industry.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects credit-related information. It governs credit bureaus, lenders, and anyone who pulls your credit report. If Equifax or TransUnion mishandles your data, the FCRA applies. But the CCPA reaches further. It covers names, email addresses, browsing history, geolocation data, and more. You don't need a credit connection.
Every state has a law requiring companies to notify you after a breach. California's is one of the oldest (Civil Code Section 1798.82). But notification laws just require a letter. They don't let you sue for damages. The CCPA does. That's the difference. Notification tells you what happened. The CCPA lets you do something about it.
No other state gives consumers a direct right to sue over data breaches with statutory damages built into the law. Some states are catching up. But right now, if you live in California and your data was breached, the CCPA gives you the most powerful tool available to any consumer in the country.
Every case starts with the facts. Here's how our team approaches a CCPA claim from the first call to resolution.
We review what happened. What data was exposed? How many people were affected? Was the company's security reasonable, or did they cut corners? We pull public filings, breach notifications, and any available technical reports.
The CCPA requires "reasonable security." We compare what the company did against industry standards. Unencrypted databases, unpatched systems, weak access controls, and ignored audit findings all point to a failure to meet that standard.
We look at both statutory damages ($100-$750 per person) and actual damages. If you've experienced identity theft, credit fraud, or financial loss, those damages can be significantly higher. We build the strongest possible picture of what the breach cost you.
Before filing suit, we send the required written notice to the business. This is a legal prerequisite. If they can't cure the violation in 30 days, and in a data breach they almost never can, the case proceeds.
We file in court, either as an individual lawsuit or a class action, depending on which path maximizes your recovery. Many CCPA cases involve large groups of affected consumers, making class treatment a natural fit.
We push for fair settlement through discovery and negotiation. If the other side won't offer a fair deal, we take the case to trial. That's the advantage of working with a trial firm. The other side knows we'll follow through. For more on what data breach settlements look like, see our settlement guide.
We're trial lawyers. When a company sees our name on a complaint, they know we'll take the case all the way if we have to. That changes the settlement conversation.
Our attorneys have recovered over $600 million for clients across California and Arizona. We've built our reputation in the courtroom, not just at the negotiating table. That track record gives us leverage that directly benefits your case.
We handle every CCPA case on contingency. You pay nothing upfront. No hourly rates. No retainer. If we don't win, you owe us nothing. It's that simple.
Whether your claim is against a tech giant, a healthcare company, or a retailer, we know how to hold them accountable under California's strongest privacy law. The first step is a free conversation. We'll tell you where you stand.
Call us or fill out the form. We'll evaluate your claim at no cost. Available 24/7.
(844) 843-8326Sources:
[1] California Consumer Privacy Act, Section 1798.150 — Private Right of Action. oag.ca.gov
[2] California Consumer Privacy Act, Full Text — Civil Code Sections 1798.100-1798.199.100. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
[3] California Attorney General, "California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)." oag.ca.gov
[4] Federal Trade Commission, Data Breach Response Guide. ftc.gov
Our attorneys have handled cases across California and Arizona. We know how to hold companies and government agencies accountable when they fail to protect your data.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Data breaches don't wait. Neither do we. Call (844) 843-8326 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
Our team works out of offices in Torrance, Seal Beach, Santa Ana, and Phoenix. We handle data breach cases statewide.
“After a data breach, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your rights, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
The California Consumer Privacy Act is a state law that gives California residents control over their personal data. It requires businesses to tell you what information they collect, let you delete it, and let you opt out of data sales. Most importantly for lawsuits, it gives you the right to sue when a business fails to protect your data and a breach occurs.
Yes, but only in specific situations. The CCPA's private right of action applies when your nonencrypted or nonredacted personal information is exposed because a company failed to maintain reasonable security. You must send a 30-day written notice before filing. If the company can't fix the problem, your lawsuit moves forward. A data breach lawyer can handle the notice and filing for you.
The law provides statutory damages of $100 to $750 per consumer, per incident. You don't need to prove actual financial loss to collect statutory damages. If your actual losses are higher, such as costs from identity theft, credit fraud, or lost time, you can pursue those instead. In class action cases with millions of affected consumers, total settlements reach into the hundreds of millions.
Before filing a CCPA lawsuit, you must send written notice to the business identifying the specific violation. The company gets 30 days to "cure" the problem. For data breaches, curing is nearly impossible. You can't un-expose data that's already been stolen. If the company fails to cure within 30 days, you can proceed with the lawsuit. Skipping this step can get your case thrown out, so it's important to have a lawyer handle it.
No. The CCPA applies to for-profit businesses, not government agencies. However, government data breaches can still lead to lawsuits under other laws, including negligence, the California Constitution's right to privacy, and breach notification statutes. If a government entity exposed your data, such as the LAPD data breach, you still have legal options. The legal theories are just different.
The CCPA defines personal information broadly. It includes names, Social Security numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, browsing history, purchase records, geolocation data, biometric information, and more. It covers any information that identifies, relates to, or could be linked to you or your household. This is wider than most other privacy laws, which only cover narrow categories.
At our firm, nothing upfront. We handle CCPA cases on contingency. That means we only get paid if we win your case. Our fee comes from the recovery, not from your pocket. There are no hourly rates, no retainers, and no hidden costs. Your first consultation is free, and there's no obligation to move forward. Call (844) 843-8326 or request a free case review to get started.
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