Pothole compensation from Council?
Pothole compensation from Council?
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Discussion

Freddy88FM

Original Poster:

474 posts

164 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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Hi all,

Since my first post with a question was answered so well... here I am with a second!

Basically, a friend of mine messaged me on the way to work this morn. He and his girlfriend hit a pot hole on the North Circular in their beemer over the weekend. It was snowing so he says he was doing 30/40mph in the 50 zone close to the M1 junction.

Apparently it shredded two tyres and potentially bent the rims. It was so severe it managed to knock the door open!

He thinks the road is managed by TFL and asked me whether he should pursue them about the massive hole.

I said I'd post on here for him...

So, anyone have any advice?

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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Freddy88FM said:
Hi all,

Since my first post with a question was answered so well... here I am with a second!

Basically, a friend of mine messaged me on the way to work this morn. He and his girlfriend hit a pot hole on the North Circular in their beemer over the weekend. It was snowing so he says he was doing 30/40mph in the 50 zone close to the M1 junction.

Apparently it shredded two tyres and potentially bent the rims. It was so severe it managed to knock the door open!

He thinks the road is managed by TFL and asked me whether he should pursue them about the massive hole.

I said I'd post on here for him...

So, anyone have any advice?
Firstly report the pothole. "They" can't repair what they don't know about.

Secondly, really? A pothole big enough to shred 2 tyres, destroy 2 wheels, and pop a door? Is he mis-remembering the event, where he actually drove over a couple of kerbs at 50mph? I can't believe a pothole (trench!) that big would have gone unrepaired on the A406.

If the pothole was previously reported and had been left, then yes there's a chance he can claim. If it was a very recent thing that hadn't been reported or noticed, then most likely he'll not be successful.

Freddy88FM

Original Poster:

474 posts

164 months

Monday 11th February 2013
quotequote all
OpulentBob said:
Firstly report the pothole. "They" can't repair what they don't know about.

Secondly, really? A pothole big enough to shred 2 tyres, destroy 2 wheels, and pop a door? Is he mis-remembering the event, where he actually drove over a couple of kerbs at 50mph? I can't believe a pothole (trench!) that big would have gone unrepaired on the A406.

If the pothole was previously reported and had been left, then yes there's a chance he can claim. If it was a very recent thing that hadn't been reported or noticed, then most likely he'll not be successful.
Thanks for the reply. He is reporting it as we speak... couldn't do it over the weekend.

I cannot comment on whether he is remembering it correctly... though just to clarify he said potential damage to the rims. And I expect 'shredded' is an exaggeration meaning 'damaged'.

Anyway, irrelevant stuff over... you mention not being able to claim unless a pothole has been reported? That's what I was looking for.

I used to live in North London and the A406 is a hideously bad road surface. So I don't find it that hard to believe that, with all the rain we've had, a dodgy hole became something that can be bad enough to damage tyres.


Truckosaurus

13,286 posts

314 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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OpulentBob said:
If the pothole was previously reported and had been left, then yes there's a chance he can claim. If it was a very recent thing that hadn't been reported or noticed, then most likely he'll not be successful.
This. My parents managed to buckle a wheel on their Volvo in a deep rural pothole and the council got out of compensation by saying they have guidelines for fixing the hole within a certain period after it had been reported or found during their own inspections, so if it was inside that time period then tough luck.

Freddy88FM

Original Poster:

474 posts

164 months

Monday 11th February 2013
quotequote all
Truckosaurus said:
This. My parents managed to buckle a wheel on their Volvo in a deep rural pothole and the council got out of compensation by saying they have guidelines for fixing the hole within a certain period after it had been reported or found during their own inspections, so if it was inside that time period then tough luck.
Brilliant, thanks for this. I'll pass it on.

This forum is excellent! Thanks to the both of you.

cossy400

3,466 posts

214 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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Otherside to this. Mrs400 hit what she said was a pothole on way home from work in the dark, bent the rim, took a chunk out the tyre.

Was not a pothole but a section of road which had given way. (due to the 100+ lorrys travelling up and down it from the 2 quarries the road leads to)

I bought a second hand rim from a breakers and then applied to claim from the council.

Turned down flat was the 1st response, due to there records showing the road was/is checked periodically.....

Argued the toss explaining id bought a second hand wheel and the cost is half as to what it would be of a new one.

New wheel and tyre plus tracking would be about £300, i got a wheel and the tyre on it was near as dammit the same depth as the one damaged for £125, £25 tracking.

The council paid me £112 after i argued the toss, they did not want to pay at all.


Freddy88FM

Original Poster:

474 posts

164 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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cossy400 said:
The council paid me £112 after i argued the toss, they did not want to pay at all.
Interesting thanks. Just got an email from Mike (the friend with the prob) with this a pic of twitter... I've put it on Imgur for you guys: http://i.imgur.com/PosmHVR.png

Presumably this means they made the times...

Edited by Freddy88FM on Monday 11th February 10:55

Freddy88FM

Original Poster:

474 posts

164 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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Update from Mike:

"TFL have outsourced all claims to a company called Gallagher Basset (presumably due to the number they have received in recent times…). They’ve sent out a claim form."

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 11th February 2013
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softtop

3,172 posts

277 months

Tuesday 12th February 2013
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look up potholes.co.uk