Submitting a Claim
Submitting a Claim
The General Liability Division investigates and works to resolve claims filed by citizens who allege they have been harmed by a negligent act of the County. Once the claim has been reported and submitted to the County, the matter will be assigned to CorVel, the County's third-party administrator who will investigate the claim and determine Cook County’s liability. If CorVel determines that Cook County is not liable for the claim, CorVel will issue a denial letter explaining the reason for the denial.
However, if Cook County is determined to be liable for the alleged negligent act, CorVel will work with the claimant to reach an acceptable agreement. The claimant will sign a release and submit all required documentation to CorVel pursuant to the agreed upon settlement payment. The Cook County Department of Risk Management will then submit the settlement payment to the County Comptroller for the issuance of funds.
Be advised that claims may require a minimum of ninety days for investigation and resolution by Corvel. Cook County Risk Management holds the final authority for all claim approvals.
If you are interested in submitting a claim for the Cook County Forest Preserve District (FPD), we encourage you to visit the official FPD website at this address: https://fpdcc.com/about/departments/legal/. All the necessary information regarding the claims submission process for FPD will be on this website.
In order to pursue a claim against the County: you must complete an Incident Report Form . It is important that you submit all relevant documentation with your claim.
Submit your incident report form along with any documentation to:
Cook County General Liability via email to: riskmgmt.genliability@cookcountyil.gov or mail to: Cook County Department of Risk Management. General Liability, 161 N. Clark, Suite 2400B, Chicago, IL 60601 or Fax:1-866-841-0447.
Pothole Claims
Cook County is committed to providing safe and well-maintained roadways. However, under the Illinois Governmental Tort Immunity Act, not all claims for pothole-related vehicle damage may qualify for reimbursement. Each claim will be reviewed by CorVel, our third-party claims administrator, to determine whether Cook County is liable for reimbursement in accordance with applicable laws.
If you believe your vehicle has sustained damage due to a pothole or another condition on a roadway maintained by the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, please reach out to the department via the email address provided below.
CCDOTH.PropertyClaims@cookcountyil.gov
To expedite the investigation and review process, please include the following information when you send your email:
- An incident report
- A police report for claims with damage exceeding $1,000 or as requested by the County or their claims administrator (CorVel)
- A copy of 2 estimates of the cost to repair the damage
- Photo(s) of the damage to your vehicle
- A phone number where you can be reached