How to claim for pothole damage

First, get somewhere safe

Move away from live traffic before recording details. Never enter a live carriageway, stop on a motorway or take a photograph where it is unsafe or illegal. A pothole photograph can help, but it is not worth risking your safety.

Identify the highway authority

The nearest district council is not necessarily responsible for the road. English motorways and major A roads may sit with National Highways; TfL manages London red routes; county, unitary and metropolitan authorities manage many local roads. Private and unadopted roads need separate handling.

Our resolver records a confidence level and lets you correct the suggested authority before continuing.

Collect useful evidence

Record the date, approximate time, exact location, direction of travel, road and weather conditions, damage and repair cost. Keep photographs, garage reports, estimates, invoices and recovery receipts.

Keep originals. Do not alter photo metadata or describe anything you did not observe.

Prepare and submit

A coherent pack normally includes a factual incident statement, loss schedule, evidence index and the authority’s current submission instructions. Some authorities require the defect to be reported before a compensation claim.

Authorities assess claims individually. Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 can provide a defence where an authority shows it took reasonable care through inspection and maintenance.