jeeper2269

2 wheels broke now from pot holes. Anyone get reimbursed from a city for their bent or broken wheel ?

brendanf

What city are you in?

It can be a difficult process.

You will have to check with the city to see if the pot hole had previously been reported as needing repair, and usually if it hasn't then your probably going to have a fight on your hands which most likely you won't win.

If someone HAS reported it and the city has failed to do anything then you have case on your hands.

isosunrise

I've done this about 3 times, and "lost" every time. I filed with the state of NJ each time and was told in so many words that since I'm the first person to report the road hazard there would be no reimbursement since the state was not aware of the issue to begin with. Frankly I believe they just never pay back for Damages. In many cases they do want to see a copy of a police report which you don't want because that in turn will show up on car fax. I learned this the hard way, was only 17 or 18 when I filed my claims. All were significant damage, bent rims, tires with huge gouges.

Good luck!

pman6

it's probably easier to sue the city in small claims court.

it's usually just a $30 filing fee, and most entities would rather settle out of court.
Usually there's a pretty good chance of winning, and you get all your fees back. and you don't have to put up with their bull******* excuses and jump through their hoops.
I imagine it's also easier to collect from the city than from some deadbeat.

some people don't think it's worth their time to sue. It's a game of endurance.

jeeper2269

Thank you guys. I will look in to both. I plan on selling the car at the end of the summer. I wish I could keep her, but the winters here are just too much to have a beautiful luxury driver. I make too many trips over the pass each month and can't risk damaging a car that has over $50k

pman6

the proper way to take the legal route is to write a demand letter first, with receipts and photos and stuff to back it up, and a threat to sue if they don't respond.
then if they don't respond, you file the actual suit.
basically you bluff first. They decide based on cost if it's worth fighting.

your car insurance might handle road hazards, but it might not be worth it if you have a high deductible.
so you decide which is the cheapest route

grabber2

In NYC, good luck getting the money back....it sure will be a endurance that not worth for most people. Unless you have plenty of time...

tex2670

Every city has different rules and procedures.

mmarshall

The type of wheels, tires, and suspension that are being used on many of today's vehicles aren't helping matters, either. All else equal, the larger the wheel, the lower the tire-profile, and the stiffer the suspension, the more chance of tire or wheel-damage you are going to get from major impacts. Part of it, of course, lies with manufacturers, but another part of it comes from the obsession with aftermarket mods that make an already risky situation even more so.

geko29

I got reimbursed, but it wasn't exactly a pothole. It was roadwork that hadn't been properly covered before re-opening the road. I was taking the same route to work that I do every day, in the dark (it was shortly after 5am), and hit a 6-8" deep cut in the road. Bent all 4 wheels and broke two of them. Had two independent shops confirm that one MIGHT be repairable, and the rest were trash because the barrel was out of round, not just bent at the rim.

The next day, there was a metal plate over the hole and a "Bump" sign. I sent all the info--description of the incident, pictures, repair estimates, and receipt for new wheels--to the state (it was a state route), and they referred me to the construction company that had the contract for the work. Took a few weeks, but they cut me a check.

Cav86

I made a claim once with city of toronto. the process took about 3 months. It was pretty easy i must say. I wasnt a pothole though, It was a strip of the road that was removed and not fixed for a while so when i hit it it cracked one of the rims and caused a bubble on the tire. They re-imbursed me for the rim repair and partially for tire replacement. make sure you take lots of pictures so they dont give you some bs excuse. in all honesty it wasnt a painful process or anything, just took a while.

CEOEngr

Early last summer I bent both of the left side wheels and the tires completely doing 35 mph on a local Houston street. I took plenty of pictures of the damages including of other vehicles parked on the side inflicted with the same. It was an old pothole among many others within a span of 30-feet that kept getting bigger and deeper with every passing vehicle; playing dodgem would have been useless, I called called the City of Houston Mayor's Office and they transferred me to their Legal Department. The person handling the claims instructed me to send in all the information including the estimate for the repairs. I could tell that she had an lackadaisical attitude, her final words "you will standing in line behind thousand others". To this day haven't heard a word, I have given up.