You may be able to claim compensation for personal injury or property damage due to a highway defect.
The presence of a defect doesn't automatically mean the responsible council is liable. Seek independent legal advice if needed.
Before you claim
Oxford City Council and ODS (Oxford Direct Services) are responsible for unclassified roads within the Oxford city boundaries. Unclassified roads are generally side roads and estate roads. For incidents on these roads, please follow the steps below.
For main (classified) roads within the city and roads outside the city but within Oxfordshire county, contact Oxfordshire County Council. For incidents on the A34 or M40, contact Highways England.
Under the Highways Act 1980, we are required to take ‘reasonable steps’ to make the highway safe. The Act also provides defences against claims if the Council has acted reasonably and complied with its duty. If we have fulfilled this duty, your claim may not be successful. Reasonable action includes regular inspections and timely repairs once a defect is known.
Your claim information may be shared with contractors or law enforcement agencies if necessary. For more details, please read Oxford City Council’s Data Protection Policy.
How to make a claim
Step 1: Report the defect using FixMyStreet Oxfordshire
Step 2: Tell us you’d like to make a claim. You’ll need to provide:
- the specific time, date and location of the incident
- the FixMyStreet report reference from Step 1
- a brief description of the incident
Tell us you'd like to make a claim
Step 3: Complete and return the detailed claim form which will be sent to you by the Highways team.
What happens next
Once you have provided all the details, your claim will be passed to our insurers, Zurich Municipal, who will inform you of the decision.
The aim is to decide on claims within three months, although complex cases may take longer.
If the issue was caused by a contractor or utility company, your claim may be passed to them.
