Norfolk County > Government > Claim and Incident Reporting

Claim and Incident Reporting

If you believe that Norfolk County is responsible for your property damage or personal injury, please review all information below to understand what is required to submit a claim to the County for consideration.

All claims are comprehensively investigated to determine whether the County is legally liable for the damages. Please note that the County only makes payment if the County is found legally liable for the damages or injury sustained.

We strongly recommend that you begin by contacting your own insurance company. You may be eligible for greater compensation with your insurer than you could legally recover from the County or another party. Should your insurance company believe the County is responsible for the loss, your insurer will seek compensation against the County on your behalf.

As a claimant, you must be able to establish that your damages were caused by the County’s negligence. If you choose to submit a claim against the County, it is important to outline why you believe the County is responsible and provide proof of your damages. If you’re not able to establish that your damages were caused by the County’s negligence, then the County cannot pay your claim.

Norfolk County frequently enters into agreements with independent contractors for services on the County’s behalf. These services can include major construction projects, road maintenance, snow plowing etc. The County’s agreements with independent contractors require the contractor to respond directly to any losses that occur while executing these services.

When a claim is received by the County and it’s determined that a contractor was conducting the services that resulted in the loss, the contractor will be responsible to respond to your loss. Risk Management will provide the name and contact information of the contractor involved to you, and you will need to pursue your claim directly with the contractor.

Property Damage

car

Your Automobile Insurance provider should be contacted when your vehicle is damaged by a pothole or road defect as you will likely be entitled to coverage for your damages.


For roadway conditions, the Municipal Act, of 2001, sets out minimum maintenance standards that the County must follow.


  • It is important to note that the County’s obligation to fix a pothole is triggered only after the municipality becomes aware of the pothole.
  • When the County receives a claim involving a roadway, the Risk Management department will determine whether the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways were met. If the County met those standards, the County is not responsible for damages.
  • Norfolk County receives numerous pothole claims each season, the majority of pothole claims are denied as the County’s maintenance standards regularly meet or exceed those that the legislated Minimum Maintenance Standards prescribe.
flooding
  • Your Property Insurance provider should be contacted when your home is damaged by flooding as you may be entitled to coverage for your damages.
  • A claimant must show that the County was negligent either in the design, construction, or maintenance of the sewer or water main for the County to be responsible.

Bodily Injury

personal injury

The Municipal Act, 2001 S.O. 2001, Section 44, (10) requires that if you have sustained a bodily injury from an incident involving a roadway or sidewalk, for which you believe the County may be responsible, the County must receive written notification within 10 days if the incident may result in an injury claim.


  • For the County to be responsible for your injuries, there must be a finding of negligence against the County. If the County is not found negligent, The County will not be legally liable for your injuries.
  • If you suffered bodily injury as the result of a motor vehicle accident, it is strongly recommended that you contact your Automobile insurer to report the loss and confirm what coverages you have available.

To submit a claim to Norfolk County, please complete the Norfolk County Claim Submission Form

  • When you submit your claim, it will be sent to Risk Management for review and consideration.
  • Risk Management will set up the claim and investigate to determine if the County is legally liable for your damages.
  • A complete review of your claim can take approximately 2-4 weeks. Please note the response time may vary depending upon the complexity of your claim and the availability of information.
  • You will be advised in writing of the outcome of your claim. Your claim will only be paid if the County is legally liable.

The Corporation of Norfolk County Attention: Risk Management

50 Colborne Street South, Simcoe

E-mail: [email protected]