Pothole claim

[Dogtrousers]

Last weekend I hit a pothole. Hard. Broke three spokes in my front wheel (actually the nipple heads sheared off, rather than the spokes actually breaking), damaged my helmet, and also wrecked the bar tape. Did various bits of minor damage to me, but nothing long lasting (I hope!)

I'm wondering whether to pursue a small claim for this. But as it would be really quite a small claim I'm wondering if it would be worth the candle.

All in all I'd estimate the costs to be of the order of £200. I don't know if the wheel is fixable, or whether a new rim and rebuild would be needed. If it's fixable then the costs would be less. And according to the info I have from Slater and Gordon there would be court fees of £35.

I have photos of the damage, and a photo of the pothole. Unfortunately my photo doesn't show the depth, as it's full of water. The hole was reported via FixMyStreet to Surrey CC in Feb 2020, along with comments about "bodged repair". My photo shows the bodged repair.

I can afford the repairs, but Surrey roads are so bad that if I can do anything that could motivate them to do something perhaps I should. But as money isn't the motivation I wonder if I can be arsed with all the hassle. For example, will I be required to take time off work and go and appear at a court?

Has anyone gone through with a similar process? Comments?

 

[byegad]

I'd go for it. It'll be through the small claims court and the good news, from when I sued an incompetent plumber, is that the other side is not allowed a solicitor. So if you have printed out the proof of the hole, previous report and cost of repairs/replacements it should be a piece of cake.

 

[Globalti]

If you can prove that the pothole has already been reported you might just be in with a chance of making a claim. If they try to claim they didn't know about it, you might have a battle on your hands. Oh and in Lancashire it has to be over 40mm deep.

Good luck.

 

[numbnuts]

Good luck with that I got sod all

 

[Randomnerd]

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-pothole-while-cycling?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[Drago]

Been through it some years ago with an alloy wheel. They whittled, but I won eventually.

 

[Globalti]

We tried to claim £50 for a wheel rebuild and after several weeks Lancashire CC sent us a big envelope full of hundreds and hundreds of pothole reports and a letter that said "Since, as you can see from the enclosed reports, nobody had reported this pothole, we can't be held responsible. If you don't like that we'll see you in Court."

Just the photocopying and the letter must have cost them £50!

 

[BigMeatball]

We tried to claim £50 for a wheel rebuild and after several weeks Lancashire CC sent us a big envelope full of hundreds and hundreds of pothole reports and a letter that said "Since, as you can see from the enclosed reports, nobody had reported this pothole, we can't be held responsible. If you don't like that we'll see you in Court."

Just the photocopying and the letter must have cost them £50!

What a dick move from the council, to be honest. I'd bring them to court just to waste their day.

 

[screenman]

I think until we are all happy to pay a lot more in tax then things like to roads will not get better.

 

[BigMeatball]

I think until we are all happy to pay a lot more in tax then things like to roads will not get better.

The situation is a bit frustrating everywhere in the uk (although I think it's worse in big cities), and I know how stressful it is for people working in local government. So I feel their pain too.

They don't fix the potholes....people complain. They propose to raise council tax to improve the services....people complain. They can never win.

I'd personally be happy to pay more tax.

 

[Moodyman]

I think until we are all happy to pay a lot more in tax then things like to roads will not get better.

Indeed. The UK has one of the lowest tax rates in the developed world.

 

[screenman]

The situation is a bit frustrating everywhere in the uk (although I think it's worse in big cities), and I know how stressful it is for people working in local government. So I feel their pain too.

They don't fix the potholes....people complain. They propose to raise council tax to improve the services....people complain. They can never win.

I'd personally be happy to pay more tax.

I drive around the country quite a bit and I find it is the rural B roads that are the worst by far, the unclassified or C roads in these parts are mostly now bomb sites.

 

[BigMeatball]

I drive around the country quite a bit and I find it is the rural B roads that are the worst by far, the unclassified or C roads in these parts are mostly now bomb sites.

yes, probably true. Cycling wise, the main difference is that if you see a pothole in a rural road, chances are there's nobody around you and you can even cycle on the opposite side of the road to avoid it. You do that in a city, you're dead

 

[Globalti]

Motorways are funded by Government so are still in reasonable nick. It's the other roads that are falling apart. Less traffic for the next few months will help councils.

We watched an amusing YouTube video last night about sales reps in the 70s and their obsession with car badges. What was really interesting was the good clean tidy condition of the roads, the lack of dirt and litter, the lack of traffic and the frightening speed of artics blasting past in the outside lane.

View: https://youtu.be/CQsMFQZa8os

 

[theclaud]

Last weekend I hit a pothole. Hard. Broke three spokes in my front wheel (actually the nipple heads sheared off, rather than the spokes actually breaking), damaged my helmet, and also wrecked the bar tape. Did various bits of minor damage to me, but nothing long lasting (I hope!)

I'm wondering whether to pursue a small claim for this. But as it would be really quite a small claim I'm wondering if it would be worth the candle.

All in all I'd estimate the costs to be of the order of £200. I don't know if the wheel is fixable, or whether a new rim and rebuild would be needed. If it's fixable then the costs would be less. And according to the info I have from Slater and Gordon there would be court fees of £35.

I have photos of the damage, and a photo of the pothole. Unfortunately my photo doesn't show the depth, as it's full of water. The hole was reported via FixMyStreet to Surrey CC in Feb 2020, along with comments about "bodged repair". My photo shows the bodged repair.

I can afford the repairs, but Surrey roads are so bad that if I can do anything that could motivate them to do something perhaps I should. But as money isn't the motivation I wonder if I can be arsed with all the hassle. For example, will I be required to take time off work and go and appear at a court?

Has anyone gone through with a similar process? Comments?

Hope you are OK, DT!
If you claim, will you do it through CTC and therefore be covered for the costs? I certainly found it worth it after I got doored and broke my collarbone - it's was minor administrative faff but not really onerous, and they sorted the rest. I was motivated by the actual financial loss involved in having to take the bus for a couple of months, but I got a level of compensation that reflected the fact that I'd been minding my own business and someone else had caused me significant damage. It was not necessary to exaggerate the effects of anything - just to have a think and meticulously list the impacts - financial, personal, your time and that of others...