Where ever you travel in the UK you will have come across potholes which are the result of 10% of mechanical failures which costs you the motorist time and money. Funding for repairs to our roads is the lowest it has been for years, Local Authorities pay out millions every year for claims as a result of our poorly maintained roads.
Reporting a pothole is easy simply logon to https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole enter your postcode and you will be given the contact details of the Local Authority responsible for the pothole you have found, this service is also available for reporting other road faults, street lighting and traffic lights issues.
1st January 2018 – 31st March 2018 resulted in the third highest number of pothole related breakdowns ever recorded, the RAC reported 5,540 motorists experienced damage to their vehicles that was more than likely caused by potholes. The most common damage to your vehicle due to potholes includes damage to your wheel rims, tyres, and suspension.
The UK Government has said it is going to invest a further £100 million in repairing potholes in the UK however it is well short of the £500 million shortfall to cover all road repairs in the UK.
You can claim from your Local Authority for damage caused due to potholes when putting your claim together you will need to carry out the following 5 steps.
- As and when safe take a photograph of the pothole that has damaged your vehicle, then make a note of the exact location of the pothole. Do not take any risks to yourself or other road users when carrying out these tasks.
- Contact a specialist garage such as A1 Clutches who will provide you with a quote for repairing the damage to your vehicle caused by the pothole.
- Report the pothole to your Local Authority https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole.
- Submit your claim by recorded delivery letter your Local Authority detailing exactly what has happened, the damage done to your vehicle and the cost to repair your vehicle, include copies of the photographs taken with your letter.
- Your Local Authority should respond to you within 21/28 days possibly with a Section 58 defence but don’t let this deter you from pursuing your claim, you can ask the Local Authority to provide evidence that they have fulfilled their statutory Section 58 obligations and if you want to take the matter further you can take proceed with a small claims court action.