Insurance claims

Before making a claim for compensation against the council please note the following:

• everybody has the right to make a claim but the council will only give compensation if the council is legally at fault for the incident
• for a personal injury claim, once the council has acknowledged your letter of claim, they have 40 business days from the date the letter of acknowledgement is sent to investigate the claim and either admit or deny liability. These timescales adhere to the current Ministry of Justice: Pre-action Protocols. All other claims such as property damage claims are handled in the spirit of these protocols
• if you are insured privately for the damage or injury sustained, such as motor insurance, you may wish to report the claim to them. If covered they will settle your loss and then pursue recovery against the council on your behalf, reducing the administrative burden on you
• fraudulent claims will be prosecuted and could result in imprisonment

Please include as much information as possible and include any photographs or maps of the location. It’s your responsibility to prove your loss against the council; vague or incomplete information or failure to identify the exact location of a slip or trip claim will prevent legitimate investigation and will result in your claim not being accepted as meeting the Ministry of Justice: Pre-action Protocols. The more information you provide the council, the easier it will be to investigate and reach a decision of liability.

Please note that failure to provide sufficient information in your letter will result in it not being considered a letter of claim.