Damage claim helper

Sometimes, but most claims fail on two hurdles. Under section 102 of the Road Management Act 2004 a road authority is not liable unless it had actual knowledge of that specific defect before your incident. Under section 110 it is not liable at all for property damage at or below the threshold amount — $1,681 for the current financial year. Tyre and rim damage often falls below that line, and the authority has no discretion to pay it anyway.

Section 115 requires written notice of the incident to the responsible road authority within 30 days. Missing that deadline lets a court discount your evidence, so lodge the notice even if you think the claim is below the threshold — it is free and it creates a record.

It depends on the road, not the suburb. About 15% of Victoria’s network — freeways and arterials — is managed by the Department of Transport and Planning, and the rest by the 79 councils. Serving the wrong body is a common reason claims fail. Enter the location and this page names the authority responsible for that stretch.

$1,681 for the current financial year. It started at $1,000 and is indexed annually under section 111, and a claim is assessed against the threshold for the financial year of the incident, not the year you lodge it.

Proof the authority already knew about that defect. A timestamped, geolocated report published before your incident is exactly that, which is why this site keeps a public register — the claim helper searches it for prior reports near your location and generates an evidence pack with photo hashes and dates.