Can I claim compensation for pothole damage on my taxi or car?
Motorists are being reminded that they can claim compensation back should their vehicle sustain damage caused by Britain’s rising number of potholes.
The threat of a plethora of potholes appearing over the next few months is now very real given how much rain there has been either side of December’s sub-zero temperatures. These are the perfect conditions for creating potholes, as water makes its way into cracks which then expand when it freezes, causing the road surface to crumble.
According to gov.uk motorists may be able to claim compensation if their vehicle has been damaged by a road.
Motorists are reminded that the organisation you contact depends on where the road is and the type of road. It is also worth noting that you cannot claim compensation if debris from another vehicle caused the damage… you’ll need to contact your insurer instead.
RAC patrols attended nearly a quarter more breakdowns where potholes were likely to blame in the last three months of 2022 compared to the previous three months, new RAC figures released show.
The motoring services company’s roadside staff went out to an average of 20 breakdowns a day between October and the end of the year – a total of more than 1,800 – for faults such as damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels. This was up from 16 a day over the previous three months and was the highest number of pothole-related breakdowns seen in the fourth quarter of the year since 2019.
Research for the RAC’s latest Report on Motoring found that an enormous 86% of drivers have had to deliberately steer to avoid potholes over the past year, a figure that rises to 90% of those in rural areas but only falls to 81% of those in urban locations. 55% of drivers also rated pothole repairs in their local areas as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
How to make a claim
Contact the organisation responsible to tell them:
what the damage was
why you think they are responsible
the specific location where the damage took place - the road name and the nearest marker post number or feature which identifies the part of the road you were on
the date and time the damage was caused.
