Alloy damaged by Pothole

[JamesR27]

I don't think getting the council to compensate you is as straightforward as just putting a claim in.

They will potentially challenge the claim unless you can demonstrate they failed to identify the defect or repair it in accordance with their own highway safety inspection policy.

I did put a claim in with the highway agency who look after that road and waiting to hear back, but not expecting much. Think I have more chance of winning the euro millions but can only try. I had a response back saying someone who contact me within 10 days so will see if anyone gets in contact.

[Mutley75]

I successfully put in a claim a few years back when I buckled an alloy in Cambridgeshire. They required me to fill in a claim form, time and date of incident, photograph of the damage and a copy of the quote to repair. They paid out in full without too much of a quibble.

If the pothole has white markings around it, indicating they are aware of its presence and intend to repair it, then it can be more tricky. But I know people who’s be successfully claimed part-payment in such circumstances.

[Lordie]

I've only tried claiming once before for a double puncture from an almighty pothole on the work van. Their response was "we were not made aware of the issue so there is nothing we could've done and therefore not at fault". It seems like if it hasn't been reported or doesn't have white paint around it then you can't claim.

You can check the local councils pothole reporting map to see if it has been marked as inspected and awaiting repairs. Also check the FixMyStreet website to see if it has been reported there. If you can find and send them proof that it's been reported and had no white paint around it then I believe they're likely to pay out.

Side note - Everyone should use local council higways websites or the website FixMyStreet to report road issues a much as possible