According to the survey, less than a quarter of claims made to local council’s lead to a pay-out. Lyons Davidson’s Motor Recoveries department knows all too well the struggles individuals face proving that a local council is at fault for damage caused by potholes.
Here are a few handy tips on how to maximise your chances of making a successful pothole compensation claim.
- Take photos of the pothole: photos help to prove the size and extent of a pothole and whether the local council should have been aware of it and looking to carry out a repair.
- Measure the depth of the pothole: While you may not have a tape measure or ruler to hand, use whatever you can find in your vehicle to show the size of the pothole and take a photo of it.
- Be precise about the location of any potholes: Local councils often state they can’t provide any information because they don’t know exactly where the pothole is. Google maps and images will assist local council’s in confirming exactly where the pothole is.
- Contact the neighbours: If the pothole is on a residential road or there are businesses around it, knock on some doors to find out how long the pothole has been there and if there have been any other incidents. If you can get contact details for these people, then they may act as witnesses who could help support your claim.
- Note the type of road where the incident occurred: The local council’s responsibilities differ depending on the type of road.
- Request maintenance and inspection records for the road: In order to make a successful claim, you must prove that the local council has failed to adequately maintain and inspect the road or that the maintenance and inspection is not to the correct standard.
- Report it to the local council: The sooner you report the pothole the sooner they should start to investigate the problem.
If you would like any more information about the issues raised in this article or pothole compensation in general, please contact Gemma Fletcher on 0113 2126000 (ext 727649) or email [email protected]
