Has your car damaged in the pothole? Did you know that you might be eligible to compensation for?
If you damage your vehicle in a pothole follow these steps to avoid a negative response like this:
Collect evidence - Take photographs of the pothole (including close-up images and images of its location on the road), the size and depth of the pothole – you can use something like a ruler in the photograph to demonstrate this – and the damage to your vehicle.
Assess the damage - You need to know how much it is going to cost to repair the damage caused to your vehicle. Obtain written quotes for this.
Make a report - All councils allow you to report potholes via their websites. When you make a report, include all the supporting evidence you have collated and the quotes to repair the damage.
The council will review all the evidence you have provided and make an assessment as to their liability.
If you have submitted all the relevant evidence they are more likely to pay out.
However, section 58 of the Highways Act 1980 provides councils with a statutory defence if they can show that reasonable care was taken to secure the road and that it wasn’t dangerous to traffic.
In other words, if the local authority knew about the pothole but hasn’t repaired it, or hasn’t followed road maintenance guidelines, you may be able to claim compensation.
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