Motorist left stunned after council asks him to identify exact pothole that damaged his car
A stock image of a car driving over a pothole
PA
A motorist has been left stunned after his local council asked him to identify the exact pothole which damaged his car in his compensation claim.
Trevor Kay, 66, from Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, branded a council “ridiculous” after he was told he needed to identify the specific pothole.
Kay claimed he struck between eight and 10 potholes during the journey and subsequently replaced two tyres.
The driver hoped to make a compensation claim as the tyres cost £180.
An image of a car passing potholes in a road
PA
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council responded by telling Kay he needed to find the specific pothole which caused the damage.
The 66-year-old heard his tyres burst when he turned down Dixon Street, Teesside Live has claimed.
The retired steel erector took images of the potholes on the Stockton street.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council said in an email: “I appreciate that you may be unsure as to which pothole caused the damage, but unfortunately for us to consider your claim, it is a requirement to identify the exact defect which caused the damage.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:- Motorists risk £100 fine and licence points for parking and driving on white road lines
- Little-known Ulez loophole could help petrol and diesel drivers escape £12.50 daily charge
- Drivers warned of 'inevitable delays' and traffic chaos over bank holiday weekend
An image of Dixon Street, Stockton-on-Tees
GOOGLE STREET VIEW
It added: “If you are unable to identify where exactly it occurred, we will not be able to investigate and provide a response to your claim.”
Responding to the council’s “absolutely ridiculous” email, Kay said: “If I can’t identify exactly which pothole I hit, I’ve got no claim. It’s just totally wrong.”
Drivers can claim for compensation if their vehicle is damaged by a road defect which the council knew about but failed to repair in the timeframes it sets itself.
Motorists must also provide details about the location of the pothole and bring copies of quotes, invoices and receipts.
A spokesman for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council said: “We are required by law to ask claimants to provide information on the specific defect which has caused damage to a vehicle.
An image of a car driving past a pothole
PA
“However, as the damage in Mr Kay’s claim may have been caused by two potholes close together, the claim is not closed and the matter has been referred to the Highways Team for further investigation.
“We will be in touch with Mr Kay soon to progress matters.”
The number of potholes on British roads have steadily increased in recent years.
AA received 50,079 callouts to vehicles stranded by faults likely to have been caused by potholes in July.
The figure stood at 41,790 for the same period last year.