Pothole at speed = new tyre & tracking @£140 - help please

loopybetty

Hi all, I am hoping you can help.

On Sunday I was unfortunate enough to hit a pothole and blow a tyre so I then had the pleasure of sorting a new tyre and tracking at kwik fit as no where else open = a cost of £140.

The pothole was to the edge of a rural road - and it is a nasty one.

A few people have said about trying to seek recompense from the council, is this usual / simple in this situation?

Does it make any difference the fact that it was the edge of the road worn away rather than a pot hole a distance in? I would suspect the road surface is expected to be the same width without bits missing?

Sorry for waffle.

Many Thanks

:beer:

smashingyour...

You will need to prove the local council either knew about the pothole and did nothing about it or they have failed to maintain the road.

SailorSam

Councils are responsible for the roads, but it's like people that trip on the pavement. You may end up having to fight for any compensation.

http://potholes.co.uk/claims/step_by_step_guide

loopybetty

Thank you both, yes I agree, and in a sense I feel awful for wanting to claim - but the road surface was not safe and blew the tyre instantly.

I will report it to them anyhow - as I would not like anyone else to have the same, on a bendy rural road with not many save places to stop and change a tyre! Well a farm driveway.....

Thanks for the link

anotherbaldrick

Go to the County Councils website and call up their database of reported potholes, if yours is on there you can go for them !

jase1

Could look where you are going in future.

Funny how I drive along potholed country roads every day and don't suffer problems like this.

1886

I would suggest taking some photos of said pothole. The council are very good at doing a quick bodge job, throwing some tarmac in a hole from 10ft away. They may do this if you complain, get photos before it gets filled in

arcon5

What size tyre was it?

loopybetty

jase thanks for your kind opinion, actually a motorist coming the other way was over taking a cyclist and as such I had to be further over than I would by choice - so yes there is that to factor in too. I am ecstatic that you have never damaged a tyre - nor have I in the past.
Nothing changes the fact that this was a particularly nasty pothole.

loopybetty

Thank you everyone else for your helpful comments.

Pc_Crash

You write to the council asking them to effect repairs to your car.

They will investigate the pothole and probably come back with a 'section 58' defence stating that they owe you nothing because they were not negligent. Now that is where it gets a little complex but come back on here and let's see what they provide.


There is a fairly recent case precedent that sound similar in fact evidence to yours that was not in a council's favour, but it all depends on what they come back to you with.