Claims

Anyone who has sustained bodily injury or property damage which they believe was caused by the negligence of the State of Maryland or State of Maryland personnel may file a claim under the Maryland Tort Claims Act, which is set forth in the Maryland Code, State Government Article, §§ 12-101, et. seq. This claim must be submitted in writing to the Maryland State Treasurer’s Office (STO).

The STO Insurance Division will objectively determine responsibility for all claimed injury or property damage and will compensate claimants for injury and/or property damage when supported evidence deems this to be the appropriate action. If the evidence secured supports a denial of liability, the STO Insurance Division will communicate this information to the claimant or his/her representative.

If you sustain a property damage loss, please notify your insurance carrier so they too may be able to conduct an investigation on your behalf and this may also expedite receiving payment for your loss.

Parties who wish to submit a claim against the State must comply with the provisions of State Government Article, §12-106, and must submit a claim in writing to the State Treasurer’s Office within one year of the occurrence.

The Notice of Claim form may be used to facilitate this process.

If you have any questions while completing the electronic form, or after the form has been submitted, please contact the main number of the STO Insurance Division at (410) 260-7684.

The STO Insurance Division is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The office is closed weekends, official state holidays and any days impacted by severe weather events.

If you do not have access to a computer, the NOC can be sent US Postal mail. Please contact the STO Insurance Division to request one be mailed. You are required to fully complete the entire form. The executed form may be faxed or mailed to the Treasurer’s Office. We must receive the form fully completed before proceeding with the investigation into your claim.

The Notice of Claim can be submitted by mail to the following address:

Dereck E. Davis, Treasurer
c/o Insurance Division
Louis L. Goldstein Treasury Building
80 Calvert Street, Room 442
Annapolis, MD 21401

A Notice of Claim can be submitted by fax using the following fax number:

410-974-2865

Please note the fax machine used to fax the Notice of Claim to the STO Insurance Division will provide you with a verification of the fax being received by the STO Insurance Division. Once this verification has been secured, a follow up phone call to the office is not necessary. Should you not receive verification of the fax connecting to the STO Insurance Division, please make sure the document was sent to 410-974-2865. 

If you are contacting the Maryland State Treasurer’s Office to report a road hazard incident such as a pothole or road debris, please be aware that the State of Maryland is not strictly liable for vehicle damage caused by roadway defects. The Insurance Division will conduct an investigation to determine a number of factors including, but not limited to; if the incident occurred on a State-owned and maintained roadway; the State Highway Administration had prior actual or constructive notice of the roadway defect; and the State Highway Administration had sufficient opportunity after notice to make necessary repairs, before your incident occurred.

All claims must be submitted in writing and must include the following data:
→ A concise statement of facts describing the nature of the claim, including date, place and time of occurrence;
→ A demand for specific damages;
→ Names and addresses of all parties; name, address, and telephone number of counsel for the claimant, if any;
→ Must be signed by the claimant, his/her legal representative, or counsel.

The Notice of Claim form is for use only if you believe you have suffered a loss by the State of Maryland, its officers, employees or volunteers. DO NOT SUBMIT A CLAIM TO THE STATE if you suffered a loss by another entity (for example, The United States Government, another country, another State, a county, city or private citizen or entity.) Should your claim be against a party other than the State of Maryland, you must present your claim to that party or parties.

The completed Notice of Claim form must be signed by one of the following:

• the Claimant
• a person who has power of attorney for the Claimant
• the attorney representing the Claimant for the facts presented in the Notice of Claim

If the claim was filed regarding a road hazard and determined that the area was under construction, you may be referred to the contractor who is responsible for responding to your claim.

After this investigation is completed, you will be notified of whether your claim has been approved for payment or denied.  A claim is denied when the State of Maryland determines that it is not legally responsible for the damage to your vehicle.  If your claim is denied, you may pursue other legal remedies. 

If the investigation completed by STO Insurance Division results in a settlement of your claim, please be advised you will receive payment in approximately 30 business days after your payment is processed. The payment cannot be processed without the properly executed, notarized release.  Therefore, your prompt return of a properly executed, notarized release is essential.

All claims must be submitted in writing to the Treasurer or a designee of the Treasurer within 1 year after the injury to a person or damage to property has occurred.

The fax machine used to fax the Notice of Claim to the STO Insurance Division will provide you with a verification of the fax being received by the STO Insurance Division. Once this verification has been secured, a follow up phone call to the office is not necessary. Should you not receive verification of the fax connecting to the STO Insurance Division, please make sure the document was sent to 410-974-2865.