Can I claim for injuries caused by a road defect?

Yes, you may be able to claim compensation if the road authority failed to maintain the road properly and their negligence caused your injury.

The council may be liable if it failed to maintain the pavement and that failure caused your injury, but you must prove they knew or should have known about the defect and did not act reasonably.

You may claim against the road manager — typically the national government, prefecture, or municipality — under the State Compensation Act if the defect resulted from their negligence in maintenance.