ever hit a pothole that’s damaged your car? I have. It occurred on a road near my home, ‘maintained’ by Buckinghamshire region Council, as well as expense me £113 for a new tyre.
I’m not alone. damage to tyres, wheels, suspension, exhausts as well as bodywork triggered by potholes costs UK motorists around £730 million every year.
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• Guide: exactly how to insurance claim for pothole damage to your car
So what should you do if you experience damage? Claim, as I did. however my insurance claim has just been rejected under section 58 of the Highways Act. It provides a support if councils can prove they have taken reasonable care to properly preserve the highway.
Bucks region Council states it inspected the road 10 days before the damage was triggered by the pothole in the photo above, so section 58 applies. Do you believe that pothole appeared within 10 days? I definitely don’t. however the Council told me: “We cannot publicly discuss the details of specific cases; nevertheless each insurance claim is investigated as well as thought about thoroughly before reaching a decision.
“When the ground temperature fluctuates just above as well as below zero degrees centigrade (as it has done often this winter), it is extremely possible for a defect to type within 10 days as well as even overnight. This is because of the damaging impact the ‘freeze-thaw-repeat’ process has on the road surface.”
• Pothole-related breakdowns surge by 11 per cent
Right… however at least the Council believed it was worth repairing after I’d declared as the pothole accountable was filled within a couple of weeks.
So what next? obviously I can seek independent legal advice. Really? I shouldn’t have to take my regional council to court. surely councils exist to provide services to residents, not fight with them.
If the many councils up as well as down the country were more proactive, taking care of roads in the very first place, we wouldn’t have a pothole issue that’s at dangerous levels.
In the future, wise vehicles might report potholes automatically. checked out all about it here…