Please think carefully before you submit a claim
Before you claim
Please ensure that any damage to the road or footway is reported to us first online. This can be done under the 'Road and Pavement Issues' option on our reporting page below. You will then be issued with a reference number which can be added to the claim form.
We investigate all claims, so please be aware before you submit that the cost of us investigating your claim diverts money away from important frontline services. Please make sure that your claim is valid.
You must be 18 to submit a claim, if you are under 18 (a minor) you will require a parent or guardian to complete the claim form on your behalf.
Timeline to submit
You have six years in which to submit a claim for property damage, or three years from the date on which a personal injury was sustained.
If the case involves minors, you have three years from the age of 18 regardless of when the incident occurred.
Third party operations
Damage caused as a result of third-party operations, such as utility company works, may be the responsibility of that organisation and should be taken up directly with them.
You may wish to direct your claim to your motor or property insurer in the first instance providing they accept the claim. However, they may not be able to recover their outlay from us if we have a valid legal defence to your claim. In that case it would be registered as a claim against your policy.
Please be aware that the council operates some services through third party contractors, for example waste collection, hedge trimming, and grass cutting – these contractors have their own motor and public liability insurance policies. If you are unsure of their details, please contact us.
Motor collisions
If you have been involved in an accident with a council owned fleet vehicle, please contact us by email or telephone.
Compensation
Since compensation is paid from council public funds, we are duty bound to investigate every claim individually. We will only settle claims where it is proved that we have failed in our duties.
To minimise the risk of claims, we carry out inspections of our roads at a frequency that is determined by the priority level of a road in our maintenance programme.
We will defend claims if no legal liability exists or we have a defence under Section 58 of the Highways Act.
Fraud, privacy, and data protection
The council has a mandatory duty to participate in the Audit Commission’s National Fraud Initiative. Any claims that are found to be fraudulent or exaggerated may result in prosecution. We may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds and compensatory bodies for these purposes.
In accordance with the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, the council is legally required to report all claims for personal injury to the Department for Work and Pensions.
We may also pass information on your claim to the Motor Insurance Anti-fraud and Theft Register, run by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Please read our privacy notice for further information.