Claim for damage caused by roads or pavements
Before making a claim you'll need consider:
- claim can be a lengthy process and may not result in a payout
- we'll fully investigate any claims as compensation is paid from public money
- the decision on liability will be based on the facts of each case, and the law
- we have a legal defence under Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980
- most claims are unsuccessful
This allows us a defence if we can show that reasonable steps were taken to maintain the highway. This means inspections and repairs being carried out as planned.
Report the problem on the road or footpath that caused the damage and obtain a reference number before making a claim.
Your claim will only be successful if we have been proven to be negligent.
Where we're not responsible
There may be times where we're not responsible for the location or defect that caused your incident.
In those instances, your claim will be sent to a third party.
Make an appeal
You can dispute the decision of your claim if you:
We will need you to provide evidence to substantiate your loss.
Your claim against us is a liability claim and as such we are not required to refund you on a new for old basis.
For example, claims which relate to tyre damage, we look at the age and mileage of your tyre deduct an amount for 'wear and tear'.
Take this into consideration before deciding whether to appeal the decision.
You have a responsibility to ensure that all invoices relating to the claim are provided. We will not accept additional costs if we have not been notified:
- at the point of claim
- during the process
Provide all information you feel is necessary.
It's recommended that you get any extra documents needed before any appeal is made. This is in respect of your own papers or those obtained via an Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
In order for us to reconsider our decision, you will need to provide more evidence to support your claim.
Include all relevant documentation and send your appeal to:
Strategic Insurance and Claims Team
Deputy Chief Executive Directorate
Walton Street Offices
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP20 1UD
Or you can email your appeal to [email protected].
What happens after you've made an appeal
We will:
- re-investigate your appeal as soon as we receive it
- issue a response to you within 28 days
If we cannot provide a full response, we will ensure that you are kept informed of the process.
We will only review your claim once at appeal. Any further requests will be refused.
Public liability highways claims data
We are required to publish data showing the:
- number of highways property damage claims received
- number of those claims paid
- total value of those paid out each year
This data relates to all claims received with an incident date within each calendar year. This information is updated quarterly.
| Year |
Total number of claims received |
Number of claims paid |
Total value of claims paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 846 | 29 | £14,827.93 |
| 2021 | 789 | 59 | £32,003.83 |
| 2022 | 675 | 45 | £22,670.96 |
| 2023 | 1840 | 235 | £117,626.41 |
| 2024 | 1057 | 63 | £18,034.68 |
Contact the strategic insurance and claims team
Email: [email protected]