Claims against the council

You may make a compensation claim against us if you believe we have been negligent, and:

• you suffer loss or damage to your possessions as a result, or
• you suffer an injury.

If you make a claim you must provide evidence to support why you think we are responsible for your loss or injury.

When we assess claims we look at:

• the circumstances of the incident,
• whether the council or its employees were negligent or breached their statutory duty. 

Accidents can happen for reasons outside our control. Most of the claims we receive do not lead to findings of liability against us or to any compensation. Although you may be disappointed with our decision, please note that the council’s complaints system is not a system for dealing with appeals against legal decisions.

The complaints procedure relates to complaints about poor service from the council and not the turning down of a compensation claim.

Evidence of injury or loss

If you have obtained independent expert advice/surveys or reports, these should be submitted with your incident report form.

We will always need documents to support a complaint regarding damage to property. If you have been injured, we may ask for medical evidence from your doctor.

To manage the claim, relevant information will be handled by the council in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. See our privacy notice for more information.

The council is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers and to this end may use information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds.

We may also conduct searches using publicly available information.

Historical pothole claims against the council

RBWM historical pothole data for incidents occurring Wednesday 1 April 2020 and Wednesday 23 September 2026, claims notified to the council as at Wednesday 23 September 2026.