Potholes are real problem these days and the Local Government Association claimed in 2016 that it would take 14 years to clear the backlog of potholes, despite councils filling in almost two million per year. The Government has recently pledged more than £6 billion to try and tackle the problem by 2021.
So where do you start if you’ve hit a divot or a crack and your car has been damaged, the process of filing a claim can seem daunting, and many drivers don’t know where to start. But if the authority which was responsible for maintaining the road failed to do so properly, it is possible to successfully claim for repairs in full.
Of course, you can only claim if the local authority was at fault. Potholes are inevitable, particularly in winter, so the key question is whether it could and should have fixed it before your car hit it.
Remember, in reporting a pothole, you’re being a good citizen. And if the authority was negligent and didn’t do the checks it should have, claiming for repairs can help put pressure on the powers that be to keep the road safe and in good condition. Equally though, this is taxpayers’ money and in the short term, claims can put councils under real pressure, so you’ll need to decide for yourself what the right thing to do is.