[E90Yaz]

Hi guys, I'm just wondering if anyone could enlighten as to the procedure involved in claiming against your local council due to tyre damage from a pothole. Has anyone done it? Is it a very long winded procedure? Basically, on NYE...after going over a pothole my front passenger side tyre will no longer hold its pressure, its like a slow puncture except there is no physical damage, the pinch from the pothole has done something. The tyres are non-runflats and always kept at 36-39psi. A new set of decent tyres will cost 300quid!!

[Dr Dave]

Why do you need to replace the set of tyres??

In the absence of any physical damage, I think you will struggle to demonstrate you have a claim.

The first thing - do you have a picture and scale measurement of the pothole as evidence?

[- Paul -]

Isn't it more likely the wheel that has been damaged?

[Dr Dave]

Possibly. I'd run it into a tyre depot and see what they have to say.

You could have a fractured wheel as Paul rightly says. 19" rims??

[ElegantSpoon]

I got £165 from my local council when I needed a new tyre after hitting a pothole. You need to go and take pictures of the pothole with a tape measure so you can see the size. Put all the information, receipts and pictures in a letter and send it off to your local council.

I then got a letter about a month later saying they were looking into it and about 2months after that I got the cheque!

It was a great relief as I had only had my Audi TT for one day when it happened! My mrs was well pissed!

[JonD]

Originally Posted by ElegantSpoon

I got £165 from my local council when I needed a new tyre after hitting a pothole. You need to go and take pictures of the pothole with a tape measure so you can see the size. Put all the information, receipts and pictures in a letter and send it off to your local council.

I then got a letter about a month later saying they were looking into it and about 2months after that I got the cheque!

It was a great relief as I had only had my Audi TT for one day when it happened! My mrs was well pissed!

They will pay out, I'd get some photos of the pot hole etc full details inc repair estimate, a friend of mine had a £1,000 worth of damage, once they saw the photos they sent some one out to repair the hole straight away and cough'd up a few weeks later

[Walesy]

I'm sure that if a pothole is 4cmor deeper then you have a claim, if anything less I think you will struggle with a claim (there was a thing on 5th gear about it a while back, this is where I got the info from)

[E90Yaz]

thanks for all the info guys! On the subject of taking a picture...how am i meant to do this on a 50mph road with a camera and tape measure. I have to be up for work at 6am!! I would have to go at late night.

[ElegantSpoon]

Run

[E90Yaz]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Why do you need to replace the set of tyres??

In the absence of any physical damage, I think you will struggle to demonstrate you have a claim.

The first thing - do you have a picture and scale measurement of the pothole as evidence?

Would it not be unsafe to replace 1 tyre? As that way 1 tyre would have more tread than the other hence inducing the pulling to one side issue again?? I cud be wrong but i've always replaced tyres as axle pairs so that everything is nice and even.

And as for wheel damage...they arent the 19" ones that crack these are aftermarket alloys, nice deep dish ones Linea Corse ZS2s

[Dr Dave]

Arse not good.

Evidence is key.

Load of ridge tiles slipped of me mates house on Boxing Day. Provided mucho amusement. He wasn't fussed about taking pics as evidence! I soon put him right.

Said tiles ended up on the bonnet and A pillar of his Audi (cock)

[beemerbird]

Originally Posted by E90Yaz

Would it not be unsafe to replace 1 tyre? As that way 1 tyre would have more tread than the other hence inducing the pulling to one side issue again?? I cud be wrong but i've always replaced tyres as axle pairs so that everything is nice and even.

FWIW when I had the Porsche Turbo and got a bloody puncture, I ended up having to renew both rear tyres as Porsche recommend no more than a 30% tyre wear rate differential on the same axle. So yes, I can see your way of thinking tbh.

As for the Council claim, most Councils have some standard procedure and forms for this sort of thing as I understood it. They are a local Government body subject to many central Government legislations regarding public liability.

Photographic evidence of the damage and the said pothole would be mandatory I would have thought.

[acerboo]

if "your" pothole is not deep enough find one that is and preferably with a white paint mark around it, this means they are aware of it and it should have been repaired, there are enough of them around!

[E90Yaz]

I got some pics...check them out

Can some1 plz tell me the next step

I will also be visiting my local ATS to get a report!

[willhollin]

Looks like a normal road round this way.

[xenon]

and here.

[zltm089]

Find A Deeper Hole!

[dxb335d]

You guys must be driving on the 4cylinder car roads?!

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

You guys must be driving on the 4cylinder car roads?!

Have to in my van.

[will1968]

Have a look at this.

http://fwd.five.tv/fifth-gear/videos...-info/potholes

[James_335i]

I claimed against Croydon Council last year. It was just after the snow in February, after a few months they came back with a letter, blaming it on the adverse conditions.. I sent them pictures of the pothole, a good 3" deep, damage to the car (buckled alloy + rear trailing arm snapped) A few letters later & threat from my solicitors and they paid up. Keep at it.

[ElegantSpoon]

You will need a bigger hole! Thats nowhere near big enough, go and find a bigger one and take pics of that.