Hitting a deep pothole can damage a vehicle’s
wheels, tires, and steering alignment. While the damage occurs regardless of
the vehicle’s speed before hitting the pothole, more damage can occur if the
vehicle hit a deep pothole at a higher speed.
Hitting a deep pothole could also cause a
driver to lose control of his or her vehicle and lead to crashing. Even though
pothole damage may not be worth an insurance claim, you may get compensation
from the local council. Here is what you need to do when you hit a pothole:
1.
Check Your Vehicle for Damage after Hitting a Pothole
As soon as you hit a pothole, look for a safe place to pull over and check your vehicle for any pothole damage to your tires
and wheels. Keep in mind that all damages aren’t usually obvious. As such, it
is good to check your vehicle very carefully ensuring that the steering wheel
is centered properly and the car is not pulling to one side.
You should also check whether there are any
vibrations. If you suspect pothole damage to your vehicle, ensure that your
vehicle is checked either by a tire specialist
or a garage specialist as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could end up
spending a lot on tracking or steering repairs.
2. Take
Notes
It is a good idea to take some notes since you
may not remember everything. Therefore, after pulling over to a safe place, go
back to the scene, make sketches and take photographs of the pothole if
possible (only do this if it is safe to do so).
To give a sense of scale, include a familiar
object in your photographs such as drinks or a shoe. Don’t forget to take note
of the exact location of the pothole- the road name, town, contact details of
witnesses and so on.
3.
Report the Pothole
It is very important to report the pothole to
your borough council, city council or local authority. You should do this even
if you are not planning to make a claim for the pothole damage. When you
report, the city council, borough council or local authority may arrange
repairs and ensure that a similar or more serious incident doesn't happen
again.
Highways
England is responsible for A-roads and
motorways in England while Traffic Wales is responsible for roads in Wales. If
you want to report potholes in Northern Ireland and Scotland, do so online.
4. Get
Your Car Repaired
Getting your car repaired after hitting a
pothole is very important. Ensure that you get many quotes and keep them. Apart
from the quotes, keep all receipts and invoices and take copies to support your
claim.
5. Make
Your Claim
According to Councilclaims.co.uk you then need to write to the council that manages the road
with the pothole with the details you have gathered including copies of your
receipts, invoices, and quotes. While it is possible to claim for the cost of
repairs, remember that the relevant highway authority doesn’t have a statutory
defense.
What this means is that the relevant highway
authority cannot be held responsible for a pothole they are not aware of
because it had not been reported to them or because they did not spot the
pothole during their regular checks.
6. Make
an Appeal
The law requires that councils operate a formal system of road inspection and repair including how often the councils
should inspect the roads and the size of road damage that the council should
repair and how quickly the councils should repair any damaged roads.
If you feel that your claim was unfairly
rejected, ask for the details of the council’s road inspection reports and try
a reclaim. If the pothole damage is a costly one, talk to your insurance
provider or seek legal advice.