Recent research by Citroen UK has shown that almost a third of motorists have had their car damaged by potholes.
The study of 2,000 UK drivers found that the average repair cost can range from around £140 – although 11% of the drivers surveyed disclosed that they had spent over £251 getting their car back on the road.
Almost a quarter of those had tried to claim back the cost of repairs from their local council.
However, whilst local authorities claim that they do not have the budget to fix potholes, they have to set aside a contingency budget to pay compensation to motorists.
Making a claim is not always straightforward and there is not always a guarantee of success. There are, however, a number of useful websites that explain how to make a claim and a driver’s chances of success.
In particular, the RAC has a useful guide on how to report a pothole and find out how to claim for damage.
When we are asked to advise and act for claims, we have to look at proportionality, and legal costs often outweigh the value of a claim.
Since many of these are small claims matters, the court only allows fixed costs (depending on the value of the claim).
This is similar to advising on parking tickets. Whilst it is very important to the client, and a real cause of irritation, it is very likely that the costs of taking the case to court will outweigh what will be recouped.
We can advise you on whether this will be a concern in your matter so that you know what to expect.
For more information and to find out how we can help you, please contact us on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our Team will be in touch.