Claim compensation for vehicle damage due to a road/street problem

Before you start

You should read the information about making a claim on the claim compensation due to a road or street problem page.

This includes important details about:

• reporting the problem you believe caused the damage
• providing photographs
• keeping any damaged vehicle parts or items
• keeping repair receipts or estimates
• how long it may take to process your claim

Vehicle damage claim

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 on the claim compensation page)
• details of your insurance company if you're claiming off them for the same incident
• proof of insurance excess (if applicable)

During the investigation of your vehicle damage claim, it may be necessary for a DfI staff member to find the cause of and inspect the damage to your property.

In some cases DfI may use the services of a loss adjuster to inspect the damage to your 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.

Photographs

Photographs of the damage to your 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 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's 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

and

• of the same defect or roads-related issue at a distance showing the surrounding area and any identifiable landmarks, which are crucial in  identifying the precise incident location

Failure to provide the requested photographs  could significantly delay the investigation of your claim.

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.

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.

Tracking the progress of a claim

If you have made a claim online you can check its progress at the following link:

• Track progress of a compensation claim

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.

Contact DfI Roads Claims Unit about your claim

If you have made a claim online and either want to:

• ask a question about it

or

• send further information to support the claim

you can contact DfI Roads Claims Unit at the following link:

• Contact DfI Roads Claims Unit about your compensation claim

Timescales for claim decisions

The average timescale for a decision to be taken on vehicle damage claims is four months.

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 documents. 

You can find the form at this link:

• Vehicle damage compensation claim form

If you have an issue using the 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.  

• DfI Roads Claims Unit