1. HIGHWAY RISK AND LIABILITY
MUNICIPAL GROUP SCOTLAND
Overview of Highway Risk and Liability
Claims
A Hard Look at Reality
Ian Grierson Highways Area Team Manager
Leicestershire County Council
February 25th, 2011

2. HIGHWAY RISK AND LIABILITY
CLAIMS
 Well Maintained Highways
(Code of Practice on Highway Maintenance Management)
 Guide to Highway Risk and Liability Claims
(November 2005 and July 2009)

3. UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK GROUP
–Institution of Civil Engineers Municipal Group (ICE)
–Association of Local Authority Risk Managers
(ALARM)
–Association of British Insurers (ABI)
–Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE)
–Roads Service Northern Ireland
–Welsh Association of Technical Officers (CSS
Wales)
–Association of Directors of Environment Economy
Planning and Transportation (ADEPT), Former
County Surveyors Society (CSS)
–Local Authority Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
–Society for Chief Officers for Transportation in
Scotland (SCOTS)
UK Roads Board
Department For Transport
Scottish Executive
Wales Office
Roads Service Northern
Ireland
Local Authorities
–England
–Scotland
–Wales
Leicestershire County
Council
Perth & Kinross Council
Birmingham City Council
Cambridgeshire County
Council
Caerphilly County Borough
Council
Kirklees Metropolitan
Council

4. UK HIGHWAYS LIABILITY JOINT TASK
GROUP REPORT
 Guide to Appendix C: Well
Maintained Highways
www.roadscodes.org
www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org
 Second Edition July 2009
 Highway Inspector Training
update February 2011
 Examples of successful
practice
 Successful claims defence

5. BACKGROUND TO HIGHWAY CLAIMS AND RISKS
 Incidents on the Highway
 Overall Accidents on the Highway/ footways
 Claims Statistics
 Impact of Claims on Local Authorities
 Examples of main causes of Highway
Liability claims

6. LAW ON HIGHWAY LIABILITY
Statutory Duties
Duties England and Wales Scotland & Northern
Ireland
Duty to maintain
the highway
Section 41(1) of the
Highways Act in
England and Wales
Scotland
Sections 1 and 2 of
the Roads (Scotland)
Act.
Northern Ireland
Article 8 of the Roads
(Northern Ireland)
Order 1993
Duty to remove
snow and ice
Section 111 of the
Railways and
Transport Safety Act
2003 (This modifies
Section 41 (1) (1a) of
the Highways Act
Scotland
Section 34 Roads
(Scotland Act)
Northern Ireland
No statutory duty to
remove snow and ice
Discretionary power
Article 9 of Roads
(Northern Ireland)
Order 1993
Duty to promote
road safety
Road Traffic Act
1988
Duty of care Common law Common law

7. LAW ON HIGHWAY LIABILITY
Statutory Defence for Repair and Maintenance
 Section 1 Roads Scotland Act 1984
 Section 58 Highways Act 1980 England & Wales
 Article 8 of Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993
 Conformity with National standards and good
practice

8. LAW ON HIGHWAY LIABILITY
Court Rulings Establish Design Principle
 Road User responsible for own safety
 Authority should avoid creating trap
 Authority should not act irrationally

9. SYSTEM FOR STATUTORY DEFENCE
 Robust maintenance policies and
compliance
 Exercising reasonable duty of care on
inspections
 Inspectors suitably trained or qualified
 Same system for wide range of claims
 Windscreens and tyres
 Severe injuries

10. SYSTEM TO MANAGE RISK
 Example organisational chart
Assess the likely
risk
Decide on action
Defects
Potential risk
identified or
reported
Act
Record
Record
RecordDon’t
Act
Authority Wide
Risk Management
Assess causes
and consequences
Decide on action
Records examined
for patterns eg
same location or type
ActDon’t
Act
Claim processed
Claim decided
Claims
Claim Received
Record
Record
Corporate Risk Management

11. SYSTEM TO MANAGE RISK
 Robust publicly endorsed procedures
 Systematic inspections
 Formulate policies and priorities for
spending
 Communication within Authority
 Liaison between claims handlers and
highways
 Adjust Policy and Practice

12. NETWORK HIERARCHIES
 Needs, priorities, usage
 Importance
 Environment
 Non Vehicular factors

13. WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS
 Carriageway Hierarchy
 1 Motorway
 2 Strategic Route
 3a Main Distributor
 3b Secondary Distributor
 4a Link Road
 4b Local Access Road
 Footway Hierarchy
 1a Prestige Walking Zone
 1 Primary Walking Routes
 2 Secondary Walking Routes
 3 Link Footways
 4 Local Access Footways

14. WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS
INSPECTION FREQUENCIES

15. INSPECTION REGIMES
Inspections carried out
 Slow moving vehicle - double manned
 On foot
Prove system in place
 Identify and record defects
 Arrange repairs
 Repair in a reasonable time

16. CLAIMS HANDLING PROCEDURE
 Claims Sequence
Incident Report Form
 Alleged cause
 Location
 Evidence
 Photos
 Witnesses
 Anti Fraud
 Joint Inspection
 Details of repairs
APlease return this form to: Leicestershire County Council
Southern Area Manager’s Office
Coventry Road,
Croft,
Leicestershire LE9 3GP Tel: 01455 283341
The issue of this form or the acceptance of it when completed cannot be taken as meaning that the County Council accept
any responsibility for the incident described herein, or for the consequences of such.
If you are completing this form on behalf of the claimant, please note that you should both sign the declaration at the end,
unless the claimant is under 18 years of age.
The County Council passes information to the Claims and Underwriting Exchange Register run by Insurance Database
Services Ltd (IDS Ltd) and the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register run by the Association of British Insurers
(ABI). The aim is to help us check information provided and also to prevent fraudulent claims. We will be passing
information relating to this incident to the appropriate register(s).
In dealing with your claim we may search the registers.
Solicitors should pass this information on to their clients.
INCIDENT REPORT
Please complete all sections below in detail, in block capitals
1) Injured person or owner of property damaged.
Title, initials, surname: .......................................................................................................Age: ..……………….......
Address: ....................................................................................................................................... ..………….…..........
...................................................................................................................................................…………….................
Postcode: ........................................... Telephone Number: .....................................…………........….........…..........
Occupation: .........................................................................................................................………….....….................
2) Particulars of Incident:
Date: ...................................................................................... Time: ..........................………….................…..........
State precisely how incident occurred: ............................................................................................…………….........
...............................................................................................................................................................………….........
...............................................................................................................................................………….........................
..............................................................................................................................................................…………..........
................................................................................................................................................…………........................
..............................................................................................................................................……………......................
3) The Location:
Name of road and route number: ..................................................................................................……….……............
Precise location of incident: ......................................………….....................................................…...........................
................................................................................................…………........................................................................

17. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
 Setting a Common Standard
 Strengthens Court statement
 Link with existing training
 Leicestershire CC Lantra Customised
Award
 Birmingham City TMS IMTAC
 Skills Centre (Barnet) City & Guilds
accreditation
 R M Skills Centre (SCQF) Award

18. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
 The Highway Inspector Board
 Training Centre Approval
 Highway Inspector Register
 Career Progression
 Highway Safety Inspectors’ Assessed
Competence
 Core Competency Units
 Highly Recommended Units

19. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
Highway Inspector Core Competency Units
 Highway Law & Administration
 Codes of Practice
 Health & Safety Responsibilities
 Inspection Policies & Procedures
 Defect & Hazard Recognition
 Material Recognition and Measurement
 Claims Investigation

20. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
Highly Recommended Units
 NRSWA & Sector schemes
 Customer Care
 Court Procedures
http://theihe.org/knowledge-network/highway-maintenance/highway-
safety-inspectors/

21. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
HIGHWAY LAW & ADMINISTRATION
In Depth Knowledge of Duties and Powers
Roads (Scotland) Act 1984
 Section 1 duty to maintain
 Section 2 special defence
Significant Case Histories
 Gorringe v Calderdale 2004
 Littler v Liverpool & Meggs v Liverpool
1968
 Nolan v Merseyside & NW Water 1982
 Reid v BT 1987
 BT v Nottinghamshire CC 1998

22. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
MATERIAL RECOGNITION & MEASUREMENT
 Accurately measure
 Estimate
 Recognise materials

23. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
DEFECT & HAZARD RECOGNITION
Well Maintained Highways
 Appendix B Parameters for Defect Definitions
 Abrupt level differences in running surface
 Potholes, cracks, gaps

24. IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING
DEFECT & HAZARD RECOGNITION
 Edge deterioration
 Kerbing edging channels
 Ironwork broken missing
 Signs, markings studs
 Trees and loose branches
 Rocking slabs
 Defective footways
 Identify and describe defects
 Select most suitable treatment
 Describe location
 Work within policy guidelines

25. SUMMARY
 Guidance Document Appendix C
 fewer claims
 less expense on litigation
 less expense on administration
 Consistent Network Hierarchy
 Robust Inspection, Recording & Reporting
 Repair in Reasonable Time

26. ANY QUESTIONS?