Privacy Policy
How we collect, use and protect your personal information, explained as plainly as we can.
Last updated: 4 September 2026
1. Who we are
HD Claims is a trading name of Bridgewater Law Ltd (Company No. 16083501), whose registered office is at The Innovation Centre, Brunswick Street, Nelson, BB9 0PQ and whose office address is Bridgewater House, Surrey Road, Nelson, BB9 7TZ. Bridgewater Law Ltd is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, contact us at hello@hd.claims or write to us at Bridgewater House, Surrey Road, Nelson, BB9 7TZ, marked for the attention of the Data Protection Officer.
2. The information we collect
Depending on how you use our service, we may collect and process:
- Contact details: your name, address, telephone numbers and email address.
- Claim details: information about your tenancy, your landlord, the condition of your home, your rent, and the impact the disrepair has had on you and your household.
- Identity documents: passports, driving licences and utility bills, used for identity and anti-money-laundering checks.
- Health information: where your claim involves an effect on your health (for example, respiratory problems caused by mould), we may collect medical information relevant to your claim. This is special category data; see section 4.
- Technical data: IP address, browser type and usage data collected through cookies and similar technologies (see our Cookie Policy).
3. How we use your information, and our lawful bases
| What we use it for | Lawful basis (UK GDPR Article 6) |
|---|---|
| Assessing whether you have a claim, and providing legal services to you | Performance of a contract (or steps taken at your request before entering one) |
| Identity verification and anti-money-laundering checks | Legal obligation |
| Complying with our regulatory obligations to the SRA and other authorities | Legal obligation |
| Improving our website and service, and preventing fraud and misuse | Legitimate interests (which do not override your rights) |
| Sending you marketing about our services (only where you have agreed) | Consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
4. Special category data (health information)
Where your claim involves health issues, we process that information under UK GDPR Article 9(2)(f), processing necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, in addition to a lawful basis under Article 6. We only collect health information that is relevant to your claim.
5. Who we share your information with
We only share your information where necessary to progress your claim or where the law requires it. Recipients may include:
- expert witnesses instructed on your matter, such as surveyors and medical experts;
- barristers and other legal professionals involved in your case;
- the court and the other parties to your claim, as litigation requires;
- after-the-event (ATE) insurance providers, where relevant to your funding;
- our IT, case management and communications suppliers, acting under contract as processors;
- our regulator (the SRA), our auditors and insurers, and law-enforcement bodies where the law requires.
We do not sell your personal information to anyone.
6. International transfers
We store and process your data in the UK wherever possible. If any of our suppliers process data outside the UK, we make sure appropriate safeguards required by UK GDPR are in place, such as adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement.
7. How long we keep your information
- Client files (including claim and health data): six years from the conclusion of your matter, in line with limitation periods and our insurer's requirements.
- Identity verification records: five years after the end of our business relationship, as required by anti-money-laundering law.
- Enquiries that do not become cases: twelve months from your last contact with us.
- Website analytics data: as set out in our Cookie Policy.
8. How we protect your information
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse and unauthorised access, including encryption in transit, access controls, and staff training. Access to your information is limited to people who genuinely need it to do their jobs.
9. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you (a "subject access request");
- correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- erase your data in certain circumstances;
- restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances;
- data portability, meaning you can receive certain data in a machine-readable format;
- withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, contact hello@hd.claims. We will respond within one month.
10. Your right to complain to the ICO
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk, telephone 0303 123 1113, or ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. We would appreciate the chance to address your concerns first, so please do contact us before going to the ICO.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page, with the date it was last updated shown at the top.