How to claim compensation for pothole damage to your car
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Transport for London has been paid out more than £2m in compensation in the past three years for car damage due to potholes, according to reports. According to the BBC, TfL awarded £1.7m in 2022-23 for 12 claims and £310,000 the year before. Rod Dennis, of the RAC, commented: "With pothole compensation claims up 42 per cent year-on-year, these figures are a stark reminder that poor local road conditions continue to burn a hole in the budgets of local authorities and drivers.".
A recent study found that Barnet was the London borough with the highest number of potholes, although its council has pledged to spend £10m turning things around. Potholes are caused by a combination of factors, primarily related to roads’ wear and tear caused by weather, traffic, and poor maintenance.
A TfL spokesperson said: "TfL has a very strong safety record for injuries caused by poor road surfaces. Our rigorous inspection and repair programme prevents thousands of injuries each year and any pothole reported that could cause injury is made safe within one, four or 24 hours of it being reported depending on its risk.
"We also make every effort to avoid potholes from occurring in the first place with our carriageway renewal.". Here is what you can do to claim compensation if your car suffers damage from a pothole. If your car is damaged after running over a pothole you might not need to make a claim on your insurance and, instead, you could claim damages back from the road.
