Pot Holes..... Any recourse (Newton: insurance, safety, rich)

[mmyk72]

Given the snow covered roads, I avoid driving as much as I can, but tonight, I had to venture out and BAM! Hit a pothole.... did not see it obviously. Turned out I dented the rim so I'll have to shell out $200+ for a replacement.

I remember hearing that I can get the town to reimburse.... Is this true? The town is Newton. What do they need for prove?

Don't know if it matters... When I hit the pothole, it was ~ 6pm, when I drove by again at 9pm there was a safety cone there.

[andrea5150]

You will need to prove the town or city had prior notice of the pothole and failed to repair it in a timely manner. Send a letter with as much detailed information as possible including pictures if you have them. It will most likely go through the city's insurance carrier and they will deal with it, research it and get back for you. I work for a DPW in a MA town and I can tell you that 99% of pothole claims are denied. Good luck!

[mmyk72]

Originally Posted by andrea5150

99% of pothole claims are denied.

Thanks for your reply. It's impossible for me to prove Newton knew about it before I drove into it.... I can't go into their database to see if anyone had made a report of the exact same pothole before 6 pm last night.

With what you said, I'm going to plan on not getting anything.... thanks for input.

[capecodcathy]

You might give it a shot anyway. I filed a claim against the gas company for some electrical problems we experienced four years after the gas co. did the work. I was told the claim was iffy, at best. The electrician was paid in full by the gas co.
Worth a shot.

[mmyk72]

I'll submit a claim, and see if Newton will pay up (at least that's a rich town).... I plan to go take a pic of the pothole tomorrow and submit with a letter and receipts.

Luckily, I found a used rim from a junkyard, only $30. My tire was ok so it was $32 to mount it. Total damage was $62 - I know I got lucky. It could've been much worse: new rim ($80) + new tire ($100) + bent tie-rod end + alignment = $400+ !!!

Be Careful Everyone.... Watch out for those Potholes!!!

[Justin Sparks]

Really?

I grew up thinking potholes were just a fact of life here.

[katzenfreund]

yep... so many potholes it is like driving an obstacle course