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Auto Damage

The Ontario Automobile Policy under the Insurance Act requires you to report automobile accidents to your own insurer, and it is recommended that you contact your insurance broker or insurance company as soon as possible.

When submitting a claim to Haldimand County, please note the following:

  1. Haldimand County must investigate the incident and determine if the County is legally liable.
  2. Your insurance broker will provide coverage information on those losses that are deemed ‘at fault’ and ‘not at fault’.

Please see the guides below regarding specific types of auto damage claims, including the legislation used to determine liability.

Potholes (includes damage that allegedly occurred as a result of a pothole, debris, or other road hazard)

All municipalities in Ontario are held accountable to the Maintenance Standards (MMS) – “Minimum Maintenance Standards. The MMS outline the maintenance standards for municipal highways and roadways in Ontario including patrolling, salting, clearing snow and pothole repair. The MMS also classifies roadways via the volume of traffic. The County is aligned with the current legal standards such as:

  • Potholes on high-volume roads (main arteries) are repaired more quickly than lower volume roads (side streets)
  • On high-volume roads, the County repairs potholes within four (4) days from the date the pothole is reported
  • On lower volume roads, the County has 30 days to repair potholes from the date the pothole is reported
  • Highway 3 and Highway 6 are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and Haldimand County cannot respond to damages that occurred on these roads. See the Ministry of Transportation for further details

The County identifies potholes through regular patrols and as well as notifications made by the public. If you see a pothole on a County street, please contact Haldimand County by telephone (905-318-5932) or in person during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or you can report it online*.

*Please note: by reporting a pothole online or by phone, you are not submitting a claim.

If you have read the above information and wish to pursue a claim against the County, please use the button below.

For information on the process once a claim has been submitted see: Process once a claim has been submitted.

Submit a Claim

Trees (includes damage that allegedly occurred as a result of a County tree)

When making a claim against the County for auto damage related to County trees, there are several factors that are considered in determining the County’s negligence and responsibility. Some of these factors include:

  • A determination that the tree is County-owned.
  • Whether there was any visible evidence of decay prior to the incident.
  • Whether the County was aware of the condition of the tree prior to the incident.
  • Whether the County’s inspection and maintenance activities were reasonable.
  • If the tree/limb failure occurred as a result of a storm event, then the County will not be responsible for your property damage

The fact that a County-owned tree caused the damage does not warrant automatic compensation from the County. An investigation will be undertaken including but not limited to the history of the tree.

If you have read the above information and wish to pursue a claim against the County, please use the button below.

For information on the process once a claim has been submitted see: Process once a claim has been submitted.

Submit a Claim