Submit a claim against the council

You may be able to claim compensation if you believe Buckinghamshire Council is responsible for injury or damage to you or your property.

This could include damage caused by:

• a road or pavement defect
• council-owned buildings or land
• the actions of a council employee
• someone working on the council's behalf

Making a claim does not guarantee compensation. We will investigate each claim individually and decide whether the council is legally responsible.

Before submitting a claim, check that Buckinghamshire Council is responsible for the road, land, building, vehicle or service involved.

In some cases, another organisation may be responsible. For example:

• a town or parish council
• a contractor working on behalf of the council
• a private company
• another highway authority

If another organisation is responsible, you will need to submit your claim directly to them.

You can make a claim if you believe the council was responsible for the injury or damage.

Examples include:

• damage to a vehicle caused by a pothole or damaged road surface
• injury caused by a defect on a road, pavement or public footpath
• a slip, trip or fall in a council building
• damage caused by a council vehicle or equipment
• injury or damage linked to council-owned land or buildings

You may not be able to make a claim if:

• the council is not responsible for the area, vehicle or service involved
• there is no evidence that the council was responsible for the damage or injury
• the damage or injury was caused by another road user, company or organisation

Use this route if your claim involves:

• vehicle damage caused by a pothole
• a trip or fall caused by an uneven pavement
• defects in the road surface
• damaged kerbs or drains
• grass cutting or land maintenance issues

You will need to provide details of the incident and any supporting evidence. This information will be passed to the relevant team for investigation.

Find out how to claim for damage caused by a road or pavement.

Use this route if your claim involves:

• a slip, trip or fall inside a council building, such as a library or office
• injury or damage in a council-owned car park
• injury or damage in a council-owned leisure centre
• injury or damage in an open space owned by the council
• damage caused by a council employee
• a road traffic collision involving a Buckinghamshire Council vehicle

Email: [email protected]

To help us investigate your claim, provide as much information as possible.

Include:

• the date and time of the incident
• the exact location
• a description of what happened
• details of any injury or damage
• photographs of the scene, defect or damage, if available
• repair invoices or estimates, if available
• witness details, if there were any witnesses
• your contact details

If your claim involves vehicle damage, we may also ask for information about your vehicle and insurance.

Providing complete information helps us investigate your claim more quickly.

Once you have submitted your claim, the council or its insurers will acknowledge receipt of it.

We may then:

• review inspection, maintenance or service records
• review photographs and other evidence
• confirm whether Buckinghamshire Council is responsible
• contact you if we need more information
• identify if another organisation is responsible for the claim

We aim to respond within 12 weeks, although this timeframe may increase during busy periods.

You do not usually need to do anything unless we contact you.

Once our investigation is complete, the outcome of your claim will be one of the following options:

• accepted and compensation may be offered
• rejected, with an explanation of the decision
• passed to another organisation if they are responsible for dealing with it

If your claim is rejected, you can seek independent legal advice if you wish.