Christina Bernstein’s check finally arrived last week: $7,440 from Equifax for her trouble.

She was one of more than 145 million Americans whose financial information was exposed in the company’s huge data breach last year. Most got an apology and free credit monitoring from the consumer data clearinghouse, but Ms. Bernstein and a few others found a way to get compensated for their aggravation: Take the corporate giant to small claims court.

Many who try don’t succeed, but a few have reached confidential settlements and others, like Ms. Bernstein, have prevailed, even if their victories were bittersweet.

“I’m happy to get the money, but it’s not really over because I know my information has been leaked and you can never put it back,” said Ms. Bernstein, a small-business owner in San Francisco.

It was that frustration and sense of helplessness after the breach, as well as the company’s response, that first motivated many to pursue Equifax in local court.