CMA issues warning over excessive highway repair bills

05/05/2016 | HIGHWAYS REPORTERS

Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA) is urging UK drivers, fleet operators and insurers to challenge the costs associated with road surface and street furniture repairs following a crash, spillage or fire.

If you damage Crown property, for example, by striking a motorway barrier, hitting a traffic sign or damaging a road surface, you or your insurer will be presented with a bill, usually from a council, Highways England, Transport for London or one of their contractors.

Rather than simply paying it, CMA says it is wise to engage a specialist to scrutinise the invoice, and has published three recent examples to illustrate the potential savings:

 

Case study 1: When a fleet operator was hit with a £46,000 claim for a barrier repair from Highways England, CMA pointed out that the length had been conveyed as yards when it should have been feet. A fair adjustment was to reduce the original invoice by two thirds, saving the client around £30,000 but, as the contractor was described as ‘problematic’, the entire claim was written off.

 

Case study 2: When an insurer was hit with a £56,000 claim for resurfacing a stretch of road in South East England, CMA used the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) to demonstrate that a larger contaminant spill in Scotland had been addressed for just £750.

 

Case study 3: When a driver was hit with a £4,700 claim for a small paint spillage, CMA discovered that the contractor had attended within half an hour and washed the road surface within 16 minutes. A new settlement figure of £700 has been presented, representing an 85% reduction on the original bill.

 

Managing director of CMA, Philip Swift, a former police detective, said: “I do not make these comments lightly, but certain Highways England contractors seem to be acting in an informal environment. The tail appears to be wagging the dog, particularly where contractors have agreements to retain claims under a certain threshold, commonly £10,000. My experience of dealing with hundreds of these below-radar claims has caused me to question whether many of the costs being presented are accurate or appropriate. There is a shocking lack of transparency – contractors are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act – and we frequently see cases of serious overcharging. In a not insignificant number of cases, no payment is warranted at all. We advise any drivers or businesses who think they might be a victim of this behaviour, particularly insurers and fleet operators, to get in touch.”

A Highways England spokesperson said: “Emergency repairs are essential to keep traffic moving and maintain safety. We have a good relationship with the insurance industry and work with our contractors to ensure that repair costs are fair and accurate.

“It is right that those responsible for causing damage foot the bill, so it is not left to the taxpayer to pay.”

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Civil Enforcement Officers x 2

£26,403.00 - £28,142.00, Grade 5, 37 hours, Permanent
Parking Services are looking to recruit 2 full time Civil Enforcement Officers to complement its existing workforce. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Senior Street Cleanse Technician x 3 (CDC)

Grade 6 £25,981 - £26,815
We are about to embark on an ambitious programme of change in our city. Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Recruiter: City Of Doncaster Council

Highways Development Officer

£37,280 - £40,777
This is an exciting time for a talented, self-driven professional to join us in the role of Highways Development Management Co-ordinator. Gloucester
Recruiter: Gloucestershire County Council

Principal Highways Development Officer

£48,226 - £51,35
This is an exciting time for a talented, self-driven professional to join us in the role of Highways Principal Development Management Co-ordinator . Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Recruiter: Gloucestershire County Council

Street Lighting Project Engineer

PO2 - £41,442 to £44,331
Help us keep our streets safe, efficient and ready for the future Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recruiter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Principal Engineer - Highways Development Management

£47,181.00 - £50,269.00, Grade 11, 37 hours, Permanent
We are seeking a dedicated Principal Highways Development Management Engineer to join our team. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Highways Development Management Engineer

£32,061.00 - £46,142.00, Career Grade 7-10, 37 hours, Permanent
Do you want to join a team helping to shape the future of Wakefield through HIghways Development Management? Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Wakefield Council

Highways Project Engineer

£31,537 - £42,839 per annum
Would you like to be part of our friendly, welcoming Highways team, proud to manage all aspects of the highway network? Boroughbridge, York
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Highways Project Engineer

£31,537 - £42,839 per annum
Would you like to be part of our friendly, welcoming Highways team, proud to manage all aspects of the highway network? Skipton, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Technician - Highway Inspector

Grade 8 £29,719 - £31,691 per annum
Within the Highways Maintenance Team we are looking for an enthusiastic, customer focused and experienced person Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Highway Design and Construction Manager

Grade N, scp50 £62,443 to scp53 £65,663 per annum, plus essential car user allowance
We embrace AI to enhance our operations and to innovate our services. Bolton, Greater Manchester
Recruiter: Bolton Council

Technician - Highway Inspector

Grade 8 £29,719 - £31,691 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services. Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Team Leader (Maintenance Operations)

Grade 10 - £48,226 - £51,356
Cardiff is growing faster than any other capital city in Europe. Cardiff (Caerdydd)
Recruiter: Cardiff Council

Highways Supervisor

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a permanent Highways Supervisor Forfar, Angus
Recruiter: Amey

Tree Surveyor

£Competitive
We are excited to offer fantastic opportunities for Permanent Tree Surveyors Scotland
Recruiter: Amey

Chief Operating Officer – South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee

£Competitive
We’re looking for a bold, visionary leader to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin)
Recruiter: Carmarthenshire County Council

Clerk of Works - Highways

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Clerk of Works to join our dynamic NMC SW Account team at Polmadie. Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Amey

Highways Supervisor

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a permanent Highways Supervisor to join our NMC NE account in Kinross. Perth and Kinross
Recruiter: Amey

Planner - Highways

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for Permanent Planner – Highways to join our NMC SW Account. Glasgow City
Recruiter: Amey

Highways Maintenance Manager

£51,356 - £55,539 per annum
We are looking for an experienced Engineer to join the team as a Highways Maintenance Manager Selby, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW