Claim compensation due to a road or street problem
If your property or vehicle has been damaged, or you’ve suffered a personal injury, due to a problem with a road or street and you believe that the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible, you can make a claim for compensation.
Before you start
There has been a significant increase in the number of claims received recently by DfI Roads Claims Unit, meaning claims processing times have been affected.
While your claim will be dealt with as quickly as possible, the Unit may not be able to make a decision on your claim within the average timescales for dealing with roads-related public liability claims outlined in the ‘Timescales for claim decisions’ section below.
Report the problem that you believe caused damage
If you have not yet reported the problem that you believe caused the property damage, vehicle damage, or personal injury, do this by choosing one of the pages in the following section:
Keep a note of the 'W' reference number you're given after reporting it, as you will be asked for this when completing a claim form.
Photographs
Photographs of the damage to your property or vehicle are necessary for processing your claim.
Providing clear, dated photographs will help with quicker processing.
Photographs of the defect (that is, the problem on the road or street) and incident location for your vehicle damage, property damage or personal injury claim should only be taken if it is safe to do so.
Before taking photographs of the defect and incident location you should consider things such as:
- the amount of traffic
- the speed restriction of the road
- your visibility to other road users
- whether the area is well lit if you’re taking photographs during the hours of darkness
- if it possible to take photographs from a footway (pavement) or from within your vehicle
At all times, you must consider the risks involved in taking photographs of the defect and incident location before doing so.
If you can provide photographs of the defect and incident location, try to include:
- close-up shots of the defect - that is, the problem on the road/ street that caused the damage/ injury
and
- the defect at a distance and in the context of the surrounding area
If you have any difficulties taking photographs of the defect or incident location due safety concerns, a mobility issue or disability, contact the DfI Roads Claims Unit.
Property damage claim
If it is a claim for property damage you will need:
- photographs (see 'Photographs' section)
- receipts or estimates for the repair of your property (see 'Things to note' section)
- details of your insurance company if you're claiming off them for the same incident
If it is safe to do so, you should provide photographs:
- showing a close-up of the defect or roads-related issue that led to the damage
- of the same defect or roads-related issue at a distance showing the surrounding area and any identifiable landmarks (these are crucial to help identify the precise incident location and failure to provide these could significantly delay the investigation of your claim)
Vehicle damage claim
If it's a claim for vehicle damage, you will need:
- a copy of Vehicle Test certificate
- a copy of the first page of certificate V5C (log book) showing the name of the registered keeper and vehicle registration mark
- the date that your motor tax expires
- photographs of the damage to your vehicle (see 'Photographs' section)
- receipts or estimates for the repair of the vehicle (see 'Things to note' section)
- details of your insurance company if you're claiming off them for the same incident
- proof of insurance excess (if applicable)
If it is safe to do so, you should provide photographs:
- showing a close-up of the defect or roads-related issue that led to the damage
- of the same defect or roads-related issue at a distance showing the surrounding area and any identifiable landmarks (these are crucial to help identify the precise incident location and failure to provide these could significantly delay the investigation of your claim)
Personal injury claim
If it's a claim for personal injury, you will need:
- name and address of your doctor’s surgery or the hospital you attended
- names and addresses of any witnesses to your accident
If it is safe to do so, you should provide photographs:
- showing a close-up of the defect or roads-related issue that led to the damage
- of the same defect or roads-related issue at a distance showing the surrounding area and any identifiable landmarks (these are crucial to help identify the precise incident location and failure to provide these could significantly delay the investigation of your claim)
Things to note
You should keep the damaged parts/ items as these may need to be inspected by a representative acting on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).
For vehicle damage and property claims:
- valued over £350 - receipts or three estimates/ quotations are required
- valued below £350 - receipts or two estimates/ quotations are required
You must keep all original receipts/ estimates about the claim, as the originals may be needed by DfI to complete your claim.
If you're unable to scan copies of the requested documents, clear and readable photographs will be accepted by DfI for the initial assessment of your claim.
If the claim is for personal injury and you are the claimant and are under 18 years of age (a minor), you must nominate a parent or other representative to make this claim on your behalf.
Register an account
When you first open the online claims form below you will need to register an account. To do so you will have to use your email address and then the 'Create an Account' button.
An email will then be sent to you with details of how to set your password. Check your email junk/ spam folder if you believe you have not received the email.
Privacy notice
You can find out how any personal information you send to the DfI Roads Claims Unit when using this service will be handled by viewing its privacy notice.
Additional information
Tracking the progress of a claim
If you have made a claim online you can check its progress at the following link:
You will need your login details and the unique claim reference number that you will be given by the DfI Roads Claims Unit after it registers your claim.
Getting compensation
Compensation is not automatically guaranteed. DfI must thoroughly investigate every claim to see if it has a defence to the allegations made.
When its investigations are complete, you will be told of its decision in writing.
Property and vehicle damage
If the decision is taken to pay compensation, the amount offered will be the amount estimated to return your property or vehicle to the condition it was in immediately before the damage.
There is no legal entitlement to provide 'new for old', therefore the amount of compensation paid may be less than the amount claimed.
Personal injury only
If DfI makes an offer of compensation for an injury to a minor, the matter will be referred to a judge to assess if the compensation is fair.
Any compensation paid will be held by the court until the minor reaches the age of 18.
Timescales for claim decisions
The average timescale for a decision to be taken on vehicle damage claims is four months. For personal injury claims it is six months.
For internal flooding of living accommodation, the target is six weeks.
The average timescale for a decision on all other property damage claims is six months.
To investigate your claim thoroughly, DfI Roads Claims Unit may have to check the following:
- highway inspection and repair records
- other records held by DfI (for example, public complaints)
- whether a contractor or other organisation is involved
Once your claim has been thoroughly investigated, a decision is taken to either pay compensation, reject it, or refer it to another party.
Why another party might be involved
From investigations, it may be established that a contractor, utility company, or another person or organisation was responsible for the incident.
In those circumstances, details will be passed to that person or organisation to investigate your claim further.
Meeting at the accident site
Personal injury and vehicle damage only
Providing clear, dated photographs as mentioned in the 'Report the problem that you believe caused damage' section above may mean that a meeting on site might not be necessary.
If DfI can't identity the exact location from the photographs, a meeting may be arranged with a member of its staff so that you can show the exact location.
Alternatively, and particularly if there are health and safety concerns, you may be asked to provide better quality photographs.
Property damage and vehicle damage
During its investigation, it may be necessary for a DfI staff member to find the cause of and inspect the damage to your property or vehicle.
In some cases DfI may use the services of a loss adjuster to inspect the damage to your property or vehicle and to advise on the financial aspects of a claim.
Such visits form part of DfI's investigations and do not mean that it is accepting liability.
If you have already carried out the repairs, keep evidence of the damage by either keeping the damaged item(s), where possible, or providing photographs of the damage.
If a claim relates to the sewerage and water
Northern Ireland Water Ltd is responsible for supplying water and sewerage services, and the company has its own claims-handling procedures.
If your claim is as a result of flooding or any other actions or operations taken by or on behalf of NI Water, you should contact Waterline to ask for a claim form.
- Waterline: 0345 744 0088
- Contacting 08 and 03 telephone numbers
Further information may be found at this link:
Making a complaint about how a claim was handled
If you wish to complain about any aspect of how a claim was handled, you can find out what to do on the Complaining about how a claim was handled page.
Claiming compensation by email
If you prefer, you can download a claim form, which can be filled in using your device/ computer and then emailed to claimsunit@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk together with your supporting documentation.
You can find the forms at these links:
- Property damage compensation claim form
- Vehicle damage compensation claim form
- Personal injury compensation claim form
Contact DfI Roads Claims Unit if you're unable to use either the online claim forms or use email to send your claim form.