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

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)

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

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

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

LAW ON HIGHWAY LIABILITY

Statutory Duties Duties England and Wales Scotland & Northern

Ireland

Duty to maintainthe highway

Section 41(1) of theHighways Act inEngland and Wales

ScotlandSections 1 and 2 ofthe Roads (Scotland)Act.Northern IrelandArticle 8 of the Roads(Northern Ireland)Order 1993

Duty to removesnow and ice

Section 111 of theRailways andTransport Safety Act2003 (This modifiesSection 41 (1) (1a) ofthe Highways Act

ScotlandSection 34 Roads(Scotland Act)Northern IrelandNo statutory duty toremove snow and iceDiscretionary powerArticle 9 of Roads(Northern Ireland)Order 1993

Duty to promoteroad safety

Road Traffic Act1988

Duty of care Common law Common law

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

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

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

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 egsame location or type

ActDon’t

Act

Claim processed

Claim decided

Claims

Claim Received

Record

Record

Corporate Risk Management

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

NETWORK HIERARCHIES

Needs, priorities, usage

Importance

Environment

Non Vehicular factors

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

WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAYS

INSPECTION FREQUENCIES

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

CLAIMS HANDLING PROCEDURE

Claims Sequence

Incident Report Form

Alleged cause

Location

Evidence

Photos

Witnesses

Anti Fraud

Joint Inspection

Details of repairs

A

Please 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: ......................................………….....................................................…...........................

................................................................................................…………........................................................................

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

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

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

IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING

Highly Recommended Units

NRSWA & Sector schemes

Customer Care

Court Procedures

http://theihe.org/knowledge-network/highway-maintenance/highway-safety-inspectors/

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

IHE NATIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING

MATERIAL RECOGNITION & MEASUREMENT

Accurately measure

Estimate

Recognise materials

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

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

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

ANY QUESTIONS?