This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like information to do with pothole compensation claims:

1. The total number of pothole compensation claims received for each of the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 (to date).

2. The total number of pothole compensation claims resolved for each of the financial years 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 (to date). And of those resolved, please specify how many were successful (ie. resulted in a payment), and how many were rejected.

3. For the same time period, please provide:
a) The total amount paid out in compensation each financial year
b) The highest single payout made each financial year
c) The total legal costs incurred by the council each financial year in relation to pothole compensation claims, including costs associated with in-house legal teams, external solicitors, barristers, or private legal firms.

Please note that the council records all claims by calendar year and not by financial year. We have therefore provided our answers by calendar year.

In the calendar year 2021, 25 claims were notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers requesting compensation for injury/damage allegedly caused by potholes.
23 of the claims have been closed (“resolved”).
Six claims have been paid at a total of £2,445.57.
17 claims have been closed with no compensation being paid.
The highest single claim payment was £899.17.
Total legal costs were £7,264.93*

In the calendar year 2022, 32 claims were notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers requesting compensation for injury/damage allegedly caused by potholes.
All 32 of the claims have been closed (“resolved”).
13 claims were paid at a total of £4,572.12.
19 claims were closed with no compensation being paid.
The highest single claim payment was £1,246.86.
Total legal costs were £6,295.00*

In the calendar year 2023, 144 claims were notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers requesting compensation for injury/damage allegedly caused by potholes.
All 144 of the claims have been closed (“resolved”).
50 claims were paid at a total of £13,849.56.
94 claims were closed with no compensation being paid.
The highest single claim payment was £1,475.83.
Total legal costs were £24,127.00*

In the calendar year 2024, 86 claims were notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers requesting compensation for injury/damage allegedly caused by potholes.
83 of the claims have been closed (“resolved”).
26 claims were paid at a total of £10,553.23.
57 claims were closed with no compensation being paid.
The highest single claim payment was £2,370.12.
Total legal costs were £13,891.00*

In the calendar year 2025, 51 claims have been notified to the council’s insurance team and/or insurers requesting compensation for injury/damage allegedly caused by potholes.
25 of the claims have been closed (“resolved”).
11 claims have been paid at a total of £2,657.12.
14 claims have been closed with no compensation being paid.
The highest single claim payment is £734.00.
Total legal costs are £9,580.00*

*The total legal costs incurred by the council in relation to pothole compensation claims include external solicitors, barristers, private legal firms, loss adjusters, insurer appointed external claims handlers etc. The council’s in-house legal team is generally not involved with pothole-related claims.

The council’s insurance team has a total of 2.6FTE officers at different grades who are responsible for the council’s entire insurance programme, including claims. It is estimated that across the team approximately 0.75 to 1.0 FTE is spent on claims-related work, of which pothole-related claims is part.