Swindon Borough Council may have been awarded £270,000 by transport secretary Chris Grayling to deal with potholes made worse by recent storm damage but in the meantime what do you do if your car is damaged by one of the many potholes around the town?
Are you entitled to claim compensation?
According to the AA the first thing to do is check for damage by pulling over as soon as it is safe to do so. Inspect both your wheels and the tyres.
You should also keep an eye out foe your steering wheel not centring properly or the vehicle pulling to one side, and if you notice any issues ensure the car is checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.
TAKE PHOTOS: Return to the scene and take notes making a sketch of the area and where safe to do so, take photos of the offending pothole.
The AA advises motorists to include a familiar object in any snaps, to illustrate the scale of the pothole.
REPORT: Even if you are not planning to seek compensation, report the pothole so it can be repaired before other motorists are affected. You are able to report issues affecting Swindon here. If the road you were on is under Wiltshire Council then you can report the offending crater here.
Please note the M4 motorway, A419, A420 and all other major A roads are managed by Highways England.
REPAIR: The AA recommends getting several quotes before having any repairs done. You should keep all quotes, invoices and receipts as you will need them to support your claim.
CLAIM: Write to the council, if it is a council-maintained road, with as many details as possible, along with copies of your quotes, invoices and receipts.
The council are not necessarily liable if the pothole you have hit had not previously been reported. According to The AA, many councils require a hole to be at least 40mm deep – roughly the height of two 20p coins – to count as a pothole. You can still claim if your car hits a shallower hole.
APPEAL: Councils are legally required to follow a road inspection and repair policy, according to the AA, setting out the frequency of inspections, how big a hole must be before it needs fixing and how quickly repairs should be made.
If your claim is rejected, you can ask to see the council’s road inspection reports and use these to support an appeal.
Where the repair bill is particularly hefty, the AA advises drivers to speak to their insurer or seek legal advice.
