The California Tort Claims Act is the statutory authority that governs filing claims against government entities. The County of Riverside is such a government entity. The Tort Claims Act is found in Division 3.6 of the Government Code, Govt. Code §§ 810 et seq.
A person must file a tort claim where they allege damages occurred arising from possible: negligence, nuisance, breach of statutory duty, dangerous condition of public property, intentional wrongs by the County of Riverside or its employees, breach of contract, or other claims for money.
You will need to complete a Tort Claim and supply documents such as estimates, photos and receipts that demonstrate your claimed damages. The completed Tort Claim must be submitted to: Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Attn: Claims Division, P.O. Box 1147, 4080 Lemon St., Riverside, CA 92502-1147, Ph. (951) 955-1060. You must either mail the form to the P.O. Box via U.S. Mail or hand deliver it to the physical address. Fax or email is not accepted.
Receipt of your claim by the County is not a guarantee of payment. Your claim will be reviewed for a liability assessment, and for sufficiency of proof of damages.
Tort claims are not claims by County of Riverside employees for injuries/illnesses that occur in the course and scope of employment, or claims for loss of personal property by County employees. Claims involving an injury to an employee in the course and scope of their employment should be promptly reported to the Worker’s Compensation Division. Claims for reimbursement of lost or stolen personal property by County employees should be reported to the Safety Division.
You will need to submit a Tort Claim to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors to request payment for property damage or injuries.
You are responsible to repair your own vehicle. The County does not have a repair shop or require that repairs be done at a specific repair shop. You must submit a claim form along with a repair estimate and proof of ownership for consideration of payment. In some circumstances, the County may have an independent appraiser inspect your vehicle.
If you are injured, you are responsible for obtaining medical care that you believe that you require. Retain your receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses and submit them along with a Tort Claim for consideration of payment.
You will need to submit a Tort Claim to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for damages via the process explained above.
The Office of the Clerk of the Board will receive your claim and process it. It will then be transferred to the Risk Management Division, and a claims adjuster will be assigned to review and investigate it to determine the County’s position on liability for the claim.