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.

 

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
  • 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
Auto Damage
(Caused by pothole, accident with a City vehicle, etc.)
  • Completed and signed Damage to Vehicle Claim Form
  • Copy of paid receipt for the repairs performed to the car, 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

Please Note:

Once you submit your claim and it is introduced to City Council, no other materials can be added to your claim.

 

How to Submit Your Claim

Once you have assembled your claim packet (i.e. completed claim form plus all relevant materials noted above), either mail it or hand-deliver it to the Office of the City Clerk:

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

 

How to Check the Status of Your Claim

Please Note:

You may contact the Committee on Finance at 312-744-8861 to follow up on 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, First) or by entering the document number on the Clerk’s Electronic Legislative Management System (eLMS) Search Legislation page.

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

Download
Motor Vehicle Claim (damage to the car only) Form
Property Claim (i.e., home, gate, garage, etc.) Form