A claim is a request for payment for a loss, injury or damages that you incurred in an incident/accident.

The claims process follows Washington State Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 4.96.020 and Seattle Municipal Code 5.24.005.

You must file your claim within the state statute of limitations. There are different statutes of limitation for different types of claims. See RCW 4.16 for the various statutes of limitation.

Yes, in most circumstances where you seek money damages, you must file a claim if you believe the City of Seattle is responsible for your loss, injury or damages.

You can print a claim form from the website, call 206-684-8213 to request a form be mailed to you, or pick up a claim form from the Office of the City Clerk at: 600 Fourth Ave., 3rd floor, Seattle.

Claims must include:
1. Name, date of birth, contact information.
2. Description of the circumstances that brought about the injury or damage.
3. Description of the injury or damage.
4. Statement of the time and place the injury or damage occurred.
5. List of all persons involved and contact information if known.
6. Statement of the amount of damages claimed.
7. Statement of the actual residence of the claimant at the time of presenting the claim and at the time the claim arose.
8. Signed by the person filing the claim, the attorney-in-fact for the claimant, an attorney admitted to practice in Washington state on the claimant's behalf, or a court approved guardian or guardian ad litem on behalf of the claimant.
9. Original signature on the claim form that is filed with the Office of the City Clerk since this is a legal document.

It will help your claim to include any supporting records, such as receipts, estimates and invoices, along with any additional evidence, such as photos, diagrams, etc. All documents filed with your claim are subject to Washington state public disclosure statutes.

Your claim will be sent to the City's Risk Management division the following business day after the date you filed the claim. You will receive a claim acknowledgement by mail, e-mail or telephone call. A claims adjuster will then investigate your claim. Possible resolutions are that the City:
1. Pays a sum of money.
2. Transfers the claim to another party or entity.
3. Denies the claim where there is no evidence of City negligence.

The length of time will vary from case to case. On average, claims investigations take up to eight weeks, but more complicated claims take longer. Once your investigation is complete, if the City agrees to a reasonable settlement, the adjuster will need additional time to assist in settling your claim.

The considerations in evaluating a claim include:
1. The facts of the loss.
2. The applicable law.
3. Whether the City of Seattle has legal responsibility.
4. The claimant's role in the situation.
5. The nature and extent of damages claimed.

You are responsible for all medical expenses that you incur. If you believe the City of Seattle is responsible for your injuries, you must file a claim. The circumstances surrounding your injury will be investigated. If a settlement is warranted, it may include reimbursement of your medical bills. The City does not pay medical providers directly.

Even if you believe the City is responsible for the damages, you are responsible for hiring and paying for repairs necessary to restore your property to the same condition it was just before the damage occurred. If the City of Seattle accepts responsibility for the damages, the billing for the repairs will be reviewed for relevance to the claim and if the City offers reimbursement for the related damages, the appropriate sum for the work will be part of your settlement with the City. Please be aware that the City will review the charges and will not reimburse for improvements beyond the condition of the property just before the damage occurred.

The City of Seattle does not authorize rentals but will pay for the loss of use of your vehicle while it is being repaired or not drivable if the City is responsible for your damages. Please understand that the claims adjuster must complete an investigation to determine responsibility prior to any authorization to pay for the loss of use of your vehicle while being repaired or not drivable. You may consider contacting your own automobile insurance company for assistance in the meantime. Should you choose to rent a vehicle prior to the conclusion of the claims adjuster's investigation then you may be responsible for all or part of that expense. The City of Seattle does not reimburse for fuel, mileage or any insurance waivers the rental company may charge you.

Emailing your claims adjuster is the quickest way to get an update. Please reference your claim number in all correspondence. You may also call your adjuster Monday-Friday from 9am – 4pm.

If you do not have the email address for your adjuster. Please email CityClaims@Seattle.Gov and reference your claim number. Someone from the claims team will follow up within two business days.

If you have new information or information not previously presented, then please contact your claims adjuster and provide that information. Otherwise, you could consult a private attorney at your own expense for your next options, to include litigation.

In order to obtain translation help, please call your claims adjuster.

If you are filing a claim because your vehicle was damaged by a pothole, we will need to exact location of the pothole. This can include photos of a pothole with identifying features around it, or your direction of travel and the exact location of the pothole marked on a map. Photos to substantiate the damage to your vehicle and invoices for repairs are helpful as well.

The City investigates every auto accident claims to determine if the City caused or contributed to the accident. These investigations can take upwards of 8 weeks. To determine negligence your Adjuster will request information from the involved City department, take statements from the involved parties and witnesses, and use available reports.

 We encourage claimants who have substantial vehicle damages to contact their auto insurer and see if there is coverage available to repair the vehicle or process the total loss of the vehicle if it is not reasonably repairable [prior to finishing our investigation and determining fault].

 If you choose to use the City for the repair process, we will strive to complete our investigation quickly, but cannot expedite your claim. As a claimant, you have a duty to mitigate your damages. Leaving your vehicle at a storage facility for an extended period or causing more damage to your vehicle by delaying repairs, may result in a partial denial of your claim.

 If you would like to speed up the adjustment process, you can submit documentation of your damages, or an estimate for repairs of your vehicle. Once our investigation is complete, and if the City agrees to pay for reasonable damages, we can work with the documentation you have provided. 

Please submit a claim as soon as possible if you sustained property damage related to a sewer backup or surface water intrusion. Claim forms do not need to have complete damages listed, this can be updated as damages become better understood.

 Generally, the City’s first notice of an incident is with the claim form being submitted. Once the claim is submitted the City can start its investigation. Regardless of if the City is at fault or not, you will need to start mitigation and remediation work to clean and dry out your property to prevent further damages. Please also take photos of the damage and document any personal property (clothes, furniture, etc.) which was damaged as well. If the City does agree to pay for reasonable damages, you can then submit this documentation to your adjuster for review.

 Please note, if your Adjuster or assigned claim contact requests documentation for your claim, that is not an admission of liability.