Anyone claimed against Pothole damage?

ChroniC

ChroniC

ChroniC

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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I had an MOT and have a cracked alloy. I recently had a puncture on the same wheel a day after smacking a very large pothole which I think tore the sidewall, I didn't think anything of it at the time because they were super low anyway and needed to be replaced.
I can name about 5 large potholes on my general commute and there is one right at the end of my road (which I obviously avoid) however sometimes you can't when there's a car on the other side of the road so you cannot swerve around it.

Can I prove they cracked my wheel no, but it didn't happen driving over nice soft roads or pillows, no.

Is it ridiculous to think I should try and claim the one at the end of my road did it, because one of them definitely did.
Do I have a hope in hell? Is it even possible.
 
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earlier thread with guy who drove into a puddle disguising a big hole - dashcam wouldn't help (don't know if we heard the outcome was taking council to court for not having repaired it)
if it's on your commute don't know why you'd ever drive through it, I make sure I arrive at those points when the road is clear on the other side, or you brake, they don't move.

Have you looked up which ones already reported/notified such that council has an out.
e: LOL looks like the cambs system is broken https://highwaysreporting.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/en-gb

[one of the chinese ev brands had rejuvenated musks idea of creating a cloud database of potholes, to notify other cars & pre-set the adjustable suspension
this would be some genuinely useful tech ]
 
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From what i understand you need proof of MOT, Tax, Service History and they only give you 'fair value' based on the age of the damaged parts. So if your tire is a few years old you will probably only get a third or less the value to replace it.

If the pothole is 'marked' with some spray paint your claim will be dismissed out of hand.

My impression is unless its ripped half your suspension of its rarely worth the effort of trying to make a claim. Unless of course your alloys cost as much as a small hatchback
 
Fair enough. Had a feeling it would be difficult. Sounds not worth the hassle. The roads around here are ridiculous.. Potholes through the tarmac layers to the mortar layer, like 4 or 5 inches deep and in the dark you often forget they're there or don't time it right to get on the other side.

They've resurfaced completely adequate roads and then just ignored the awful ones because they're not high usage. I do wonder why they just don't chuck a bag of quickset in there, anything is better than nothing.
 
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ChroniC said:
Fair enough. Had a feeling it would be difficult. Sounds not worth the hassle. The roads around here are ridiculous.. Potholes through the tarmac layers to the mortar layer, like 4 or 5 inches deep and in the dark you often forget they're there or don't time it right to get on the other side.

They've resurfaced completely adequate roads and then just ignored the awful ones because they're not high usage. I do wonder why they just don't chuck a bag of quickset in there, anything is better than nothing.
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There is a road on my commute which they resurfaced a couple of years ago, but left random 20-30 meter gaps of old surface. Which are now fully of potholes because the tarmac is much older.

They must have saved be pennies. It's one of the councilist thing I've seen. But now they have to get workers and equipment out there just fix those patches, which probably costs more in the end.
 
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Our local bunch refuse to pay for any damage because the depths of the potholes are not deep enough according to their "action level"
 
I've been successful after hitting a pot hole last year which blew the left front. Luckily it didn't damage the alloy and I had the tyre replaced by a mobile fitter.

I went back the next day and took loads of photos, I also screenshot google streetview (and it's historic streetview data with the dates) to show how how it had got worse over the years and not been repaired over various passes by the google streetview car.

After sending all of that with the receipt for the new tyre. I had to prove the car was mine, MOT'd, taxed and insured. It then took about 2 months for them to get back to me, but once they passed it to their insurance company I had the money for the tyre within a week.

This was with Staffordshire County Council.
 
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for all they know you could have driven into a kerb. Without photo of the exact pothole you aren’t going to get very far sadly
 
Find any one of the many bad potholes they haven't marked yet. Take photo evidence showing the damage like it just happened.
 
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Another recommendation here that you should try and claim.

I successfully claimed for damage two years ago as I could provide photos of the pot hole and the damaged tyre. I had to provide an exact location and measurements of the pot hole though.

Sadly will need to do it again after my wife hit another pot hole in the middle of the road on an NSL stretch of road last night, tearing the sidewall, of a 2 week old tyre..
 
ci_newman said:
Another recommendation here that you should try and claim.

I successfully claimed for damage two years ago as I could provide photos of the pot hole and the damaged tyre. I had to provide an exact location and measurements of the pot hole though.

Sadly will need to do it again after my wife hit another pot hole in the middle of the road on an NSL stretch of road last night, tearing the sidewall, of a 2 week old tyre..
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They probably think getting out in to the middle of the road to measure it will put most people off. Probably will on a main road :/

You could just blag it I support. Unless they go out and confirm the measurements they won't know.
 
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I'm currently waiting to hear the outcome of a claim - they allow themselves 5 months to make a decision and they give me a date in March as the latest I'll hear.
Hit a pothole - near instant alert on the dash of tyre deflation and completely killed front near-side tyre.

I've been back and taken numerous photos, completed the online forms.
I do have dashcam footage, but not yet submitted (as no obvious way to do so via the online claim forms). I still have the tyre as well.
Mine was in an area that had been repaired before, there was a nice "rectangle" around the pothole which shows where the road had been previously repaired.

Principle thing, I shouldn't be £160 out of pocket - but fully expect to be told no in the first instance.
 
Our council would only pay if:
- it was a big enough hole
- the hole had already been reported and the council had not already fixed it within a certain amount of time
 
kona786 said:
What's your tyre size out of interest
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Mine are: 225/35:R19's - So yer, totally impractical for the post "broke councils" and "honest, the increased number of heavy electric vehicles on the road is not making any difference" world we live in.
 
ci_newman said:
I successfully claimed for damage two years ago as I could provide photos of the pot hole and the damaged tyre. I had to provide an exact location and measurements of the pot hole though.

Sadly will need to do it again after my wife hit another pot hole in the middle of the road on an NSL stretch of road last night, tearing the sidewall, of a 2 week old tyre..
Click to expand...
...and will they expect you to get out into the middle of an NSL stretch of road to measure the pothole? That is ridiculous.
 
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