Information about making an insurance claim against us (Hertfordshire County Council).
When and how to make a claim
Before you make a claim, please bear in mind:
- any compensation that's paid out from public money takes funds away from our important frontline services
- the Highways Act recognises that faults will arise on our roads, which means there is no automatic right to compensation if you're injured by a fault.
If you still wish to make an insurance claim:
- Find the case reference number of the fault that caused the damage, on our map of faults. You'll need this to make a claim. If it's not on the map, there's an option to report a new fault.
- Fill out our claim form.
How we make a decision
All claims are decided on an individual basis.
Our procedures will remain the same whether you make a claim individually or through a third party.
Some roads are the responsibility of other organisations such as National Highways. We can't deal with claims on behalf of anyone else. If a claim concerns another organisation, we'll either pass on your claim to them or give you their details.
The decision to deny a claim is based on the facts and our duties under the Highways Act. If your claim is rejected, we'll explain our decision.
After you make a claim
We aim to respond to claims involving property within 8 weeks.
When there is a case of severe weather, it may take slightly longer as general road safety takes priority.
If you make a claim through a third party, we’ll communicate with them directly.
You have the right to seek independent legal or professional advice. We can't advise you whether or not to ask a third party to act on your behalf.
Please be aware that we check all claims to prevent against fraud. This means we may pass on your details to other organisations to carry out further checks.