Pothole Destroyed Tire/Can I Make A Claim?

[Tenacity]

I'm in Clinton Township, MI and I was with a chick last night driving through Sterling Heights and I didn't see (apparently) this big a.ss pothole that I hit. It was a loud hit and then the tire started falling down.

I get out, check it, try to put air in it, and that didn't work. Had my AAA Roadside Assistance come out to put the donut on it. I get to the shop this afternoon and they are like the warranty on the tires won't cover it, so I had to spend $150 to get another tire.

$150 isn't a BIG DEAL but still, damn it, I would much rather prefer to spend that on something else.

I've been looking at this site here: http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-9615_30883-93194--,00.html

Anybody have any success getting the State to cover Pothole claims?

 

[Stagger Lee]

Yes, usually, you can contact the city and make a claim. Just don't expected the city to agree to pay the claim or a lawyer to take your case or win. The city will likely falsely claim they didn't know about the pothole or didn't have enough advance notice to fix it. It'll be hard to prove that the city did have advance notice.

My city doesn't fix the roads and doesn't always salt the roads. If a pothole damges your vehicle 9.xx times out of 10 the city will lie and not pay for the damages. And if your vehicle hits black ice and is damaged in a crash and you have injuries, the city will lie and claim they treated the road. Plus if you have full coverage insurance and/or health insurance, the city might only have to pay your deductible even if it did accept your claim.

That said, I would file a claim and good luck. I think you would call or contact the city of Sterling Heights and they will tell you who is responsible for that road's maintenance.

 

[Billtx49]

It's only the cost of a new tire. Stuff happens in life.
Their claim is you were the driver and should
Have seen the hole. Suck it up as a circunstance of life. Who would you sue if
It was a nail? Better things to worry about in life than a blown tire…

 

[Stagger Lee]

On the other hand, the government has a duty to repair the roads and treat them when slick with your tax money. You can't always see the extent of a pothole or avoid it. Whether your damage is $150 or $15,000, the city should not be allowed to neglect its duty and responsibility, and shift the burden on to others. I'm not sure if people living in the south realize how messed up the roads are and how corrupt the cities are ran by affirmative action clowns.

Entitlement symdrome. Every one else needs to pay for your own problems. Can you spell socialism?

Now we get to the crux of it. Holding a party responsible for negligence such as the gov's road repair and maintenance negligence and responsible use of your tax dollars is socialism. It's actually the opposite of socialism.

 

[Bible_Belt]

This is a good example of how burden of proof is the deciding element in most cases. It's entirely on the individual filing the claim. You would have to be in the habit of making reports of every pothole on the road and maintaining records of those reports. No one is going to do that.

 

[Billtx49]

Bottom line - is it worth the hassle, time, or money for a claim vs. your replacement cost out of pocket, you decide where you want to spend your time and money.

 

[the_stig]

On the other hand, the government has a duty to repair the roads and treat them when slick with your tax money. You can't always see the extent of a pothole or avoid it. Whether your damage is $150 or $15,000, the city should not be allowed to neglect its duty and responsibility, and shift the burden on to others. I'm not sure if people living in the south realize how messed up the roads are and how corrupt the cities are ran by affirmative action clowns.

+100

My state has four new professional sports stadiums built with tax payer money, but some of the worst roads in the country. It's absolutely unacceptable, especially after they ding us with a gas tax towards road improvement, with no noticeable improvements several years on.

It goes beyond tire repair. Constantly hitting cracks, potholes and defects in the road will wear your car out much quicker. It all adds up in the form of worn suspension bushings, shocks, alignments, squeeks and rattles, etc.

 

[Billtx49]

Entitlement symdrome. Every one else needs to pay for your own problems. Can you spell socialism?