A lot of factors contribute to wheel damage, and potholes are one. When you continuously hit potholes, your alloy wheels and other vehicle parts can get damaged.
But what do you do when your wheels are damaged due to bad roads? Can you make a claim? If so, how do you make a claim?
How to Claim for an Alloy Wheel Damaged by a pothole?
If you’ve been involved in an accident due to potholes on the road that damaged your car or its alloy wheel, you might be able to claim compensation from the local authority.
Here are the necessary steps to claim compensation for your damaged wheels caused by potholes:
1. Note the Damage Caused by the Potholes
The first step to claiming compensation for any pothole damaged wheels is to note the damage. Do this immediately after you hit the pothole and if you notice any unusual behaviour of your car. It makes sense to write everything down and take photographs of the bad road and damaged wheel or other parts.
Other necessary information you will need to make in your claim includes the road name, town, and the exact points of the potholes. You can also have the contact details of anyone who witnessed the event.
Don’t rely on your memory, as you may have forgotten some details when asked to present the necessary information.
2. Find Out the Responsible Authority
The next step is to locate the responsible authority. Finding out which authority is responsible for the road depends on your region, but a quick search on Direct.gov will help dig out this information.
Your chances of getting compensated for the damage depends on the council’s prior knowledge of the road’s conditions. If the council has been previously informed but didn’t take any productive action to repair the road, you are more likely to succeed with your claim.
On the other hand, if the council could claim that the road is not so bad to cause wheel damage, you are more likely to lose.
Freedom of Information Request (FOI)
The Freedom of Information Act lets you ask any public sector organization questions about their activities on any subject. The organization is obligated to answer your questions, except when they are confidential.
Relating this to bad roads, this Act gives you the right to ask local councils for recorded information about any road so it can help in processing your claim.
Here is a useful list of contacts of local councils managing roads.
3. Making a Claim for an Alloy Wheel Damaged by a pothole
Once you have recorded the necessary information about the damaged wheels and the road, it is time to make a claim.
Start by visiting the local council’s website and making a claim. This is where you need the recorded information. Supply as much information and evidence as possible to claim that the bad road damaged your wheels. If you have repaired the damaged wheels, include copies of the receipts too.
The council will respond to your claim, which can be positive or negative. While they can offer to refund the repair cost, they can also reject your claim.
If your claim is rejected, you can pursue the matter in the small claims court. However, note that losing the case in a course attracts some charges. Hence, seeking legal advice before proceeding with the matter makes sense.
More information about How to Claim for Alloy Wheels damaged by Potholes: Step-by-step guide on how to make a claim (potholes.co.uk).
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