Claims for property damage or personal injury
If you have suffered property or vehicle damage or personal injury and consider Kent County Council (KCC) to be at fault, you can pursue a claim for compensation.
If you make a claim, the outcome will be determined by whether we can be proven to have acted negligently. This is known as ‘legal liability’.
Before you claim
There is no automatic right to compensation and any deemed to be owed, is paid from public funds.
All highway claims are handled in accordance with the Highways Act 1980. This provides a highway authority with a legal defence, if it is able to demonstrate it has a reasonable system of inspection and repair. Because of this, the majority of compensation claims are unsuccessful.
You have the right to seek independent legal or professional advice, but our procedures for dealing with compensation claims are the same whether you make a claim directly or via a third-party representative. Even if your claim is successful, we may not be required to meet any legal costs you incur.
How to make a claim
The quickest and easiest way to make a claim is to use our online form.
Before completing the form you will need to ensure you have all the relevant information to hand, as there is no option to save the claim and submit later. Further guidance on the process is provided once you click the link and we recommend familiarising yourself with the content of the form before you begin to complete it.
You will need to tell us the:
- date and time of incident
- exact location of incident (this will need to be identified via Google Maps)
- details of the damage or personal injury you have suffered
- details of any medical treatment you have received
- supporting documentation such as photographs of what caused the damage or injury, invoices and receipts.
After your claim is submitted
Once you have completed your online form, you will see a message confirming this has been received.
Your submission will then be reviewed and a second e-mail will be sent to you within 10 working days. If you have provided all the necessary information required to investigate your claim, this email will include a reference number (to be quoted on all future correspondence) and a timescale for our decision (usually 8 to 10 weeks). If further information is required, this will be outlined in our response.
Investigation and decision
The circumstances of your claim will be carefully investigated.
If your claim involves personal injury, you may be asked to attend site with a KCC official.
Once our investigation has been completed, a decision on liability will be issued to you in writing. If the claim involves personal injury this decision will be provided by Gallagher Bassett, on behalf of the our insurer.
If we are unable to meet your request for compensation, you will receive a full explanation.
If your claim is accepted, you will be provided with our settlement figure and be asked to supply your bank details to enable payment.
Evidence of personal Injury or financial loss
If your claim involves personal injury, evidence will be requested from those parties who have provided you with medical treatment.
For claims involving damage, the law requires you to keep your losses to a minimum. This means you remain responsible for arranging repairs as soon as possible. Original invoices and receipts will always be required in support of your claim.
Submit a claim
This claim form is owned and controlled by our claims software provider Figtree Systems Europe Limited. Read the Claim Form accessibility statement.
Contact us
If the online form is not a suitable option for you, call 03000 41 81 81 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to request for a paper version to be sent to you. The return address will be included on the form.