For motorists, cyclists and motorcyclists, there are many potential dangers on the road. One such hazard is potholes. These can cause a variety of accidents and injuries, and this can mean that if you hit a pothole in the road, you may be able to make a pothole injury claim for compensation.

It is thought that there are as many as ten potholes for every mile of road in the UK, which means that there is a risk of accident during any road journey made by car, bicycle or motorcycle. It is such a huge problem there is even a dedicated website called potholes.co.uk. As well as causing damage to a vehicle or a bicycle, potholes can also cause serious personal injuries. These can include:

• Falls causing serious head injuries, fractures, cuts and bruises.
• Muscle strains caused by sudden movement.
• Whiplash style injuries from sudden jerks or drops in the road.

Responsibility For Potholes Claim

The state of public roads and highways is usually the responsibility of the local council as highways authority or the highways agency for major roads. Locally this will mainly be Lincolnshire County Council Highways Department, which has an obligation to carry out road tarmac repairs to maintain the highway in a safe condition. To do this they carry out regular potholes inspections in order to carry out a pothole repair once dangerous pot holes have been identified. Identification is often by members of the public who are encouraged to report potholes to the council.

A pothole claim can therefore be made against the council, where it must be proven that:

• The highway or road was in a dangerous condition.
• The dangerous condition of the highway came about because of poor road tarmac maintenance by the council.
• The council was therefore responsible for the injuries sustained by the cyclist or motorist.

As part of a pothole claim the council’s inspection records are made available and if inspections are not regularly carried out, or repairs are not performed within a reasonable time frame, any injuries caused by potholes may become the fault of the council.

If you have suffered such an injury or pothole damage and feel it may be the fault of the local council authority, you may be able to make a compensation claim.

Specialist Pothole Injury Claim Solicitor

It is important that you have an experienced potholes injury claim solicitor otherwise your claim is unlikely to get far as the council routinely reject such cases. To pursue a pothole injury claim in Louth or Grimsby, Lincolnshire against Lincolnshire County Council, following an injury on a poorly maintained highway, get in touch by calling 01507 609027 or online for a free, no-obligation consultation about your case. All cases are pursued on a no win no fee basis, with no hidden charges. I have dealt with countless pothole claims against Lincolnshire County Council with an excellent success rate.