Councils and highways agency claims

Road accident injury compensation claims involving unsafe road schemes or conditions, defective signs and equipment or other road hazards can be difficult to prove. It is essential that evidence, including photographs of the road conditions, is gathered immediately to avoid it being lost by the highway authority’s post-accident repairs. Swift action is needed by experienced solicitors to identify and prove liability (fault) against the correct defendant. Expert accident reconstruction evidence may be needed, particularly where the cause of the accident is not immediately clear.

Where someone has suffered severe or catastrophic injury in an accident, it is vital that the correct defendant (person or authority at fault) is identified so that funding for the injured person’s rehabilitation can be secured urgently from their insurers. Our personal injury solicitors are nationally acclaimed experts in handling brain injury and other major trauma accident claims.

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, serious injury claims arising from unsafe highway conditions may be made against:

• the highways agency responsible for major roads and motorways (e.g. Highways England);
• the local highway authority or council responsible for minor roads, pavements, and walkways;
• the building or road maintenance work contractor;
• the government’s Department for Transport (DfT);
• utility companies (low-hanging cables, burst water mains etc);
• drivers or commercial organisations responsible for road hazards or obstructions (skips, spillages, debris, or items dropped from lorries).