Claims

Was your vehicle damaged by hitting a pothole on a City of Chicago street? Was your property damaged by actions or negligence by the City of Chicago and/or its employees?

If so, you may be able to receive compensation from the City of Chicago for some or all of the costs you incurred.

In most cities/towns, if you find yourself in a situation like above, you would be required to file a case with the small claims court or similar county court system. In Chicago, however, claims such as these are reviewed and settled by the Chicago City Council passing an ordinance to award damages. 

Types of claims:

  • Damage to Property
  • Damage to Vehicle

Download a claim form:

How to Assemble Your Claim Packet

When you submit a claim, you are basically arguing your case, similar to how a lawyer might try a case before a judge. Therefore, it is important that you make a case that is complete by assembling the required materials ahead of time before you submit your claim. 

Property Damage
  • Copy of insurance card
  • Copy of driver's license
  • Letter of experience from insurance company for claims over $500  
  • Completed and signed Property Damage Claim Form
  • Two written estimates for the cost of repairing the damage (a copy of each is sufficient)
  • Copy of a police report for the incident that resulted in the damage 
Vehicle Damage
(Caused by pothole, accident with a City vehicle, etc.)
  • Copy of insurance card
  • Copy of driver's license
  • Letter of experience from insurance company for claims over $500
  • Completed and signed Damage to Vehicle Claim Form
  • Copy of paid receipt for the repairs performed to the vehicle, OR two written estimates for the cost of repairing the damage (a copy of each is sufficient)
  • Copy of a police report for the incident that resulted in the damage 
    (Not required for pothole damage)
IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Once you submit your claim and it is introduced to City Council, no other materials can be added to your claim, so please check your claim packet before filing.

How to File Your Claim

Once you have assembled your claim, documents and collected all the required information, you have three options for filing:

OPTION 1 (Online)

The online Claim portal will provide you with an immediate claim number and can be done completely online. 

File your claim online by accessing the online Claim portal.

OPTION 2 (Mail)

Fill out a Claim PDF form, sign it and mail it to the City Clerk's Office. Remember to include ALL relevant materials noted above.

Office of the City Clerk 
Attn: Claims  
121 N. LaSalle St, Room 107 
Chicago, IL 60602-1295

Download a claim form:

OPTION 3 (In Person)

If you need a claim form mailed to you, contact (312) 744-6870.

Deliver, pick up or fill out a claim form in person by visiting the Office of the City Clerk located at:

Office of the City Clerk 
Attn: Claims  
121 N. LaSalle St, Room 107 
Chicago, IL 60602-1295  

Office hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Excluding City holidays)

How to Check the Status of Your Claim

Once your claim is received by the Office of the City Clerk, we will conduct an administrative review to check that it is complete and that it has all necessary attachments, etc.  If there are any issues, we will reach out to you. If complete, the Office of the City Clerk will introduce your claim to the City Council/Committee on Finance at the next upcoming City Council meeting (City Council meeting calendar). At that time, your claim will be assigned a document tracking number.

You can monitor the status of your claim (e.g., introduced and referred to committee, approved or denied) by searching under your name (Last Name, First Name) in the search field on the Clerk’s Electronic Legislative Management System (eLMS) Search Legislation page.

You may contact the Committee on Finance at 312-744-8861 to follow up on the status of your claim. Please be aware that claims are investigated and reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis and may take several months before a final determination is made.