Claims for damage from potholes

Is it possible to file a claim with the city for damage to wheels/suspension as a result of potholes? If so, how? I'm in Los Angeles.

Paul: You may want to try dialing "311," it'll get you to LA City Hall. And check the following from last week: http://www.nbc4.tv/traffic/4080257/detail.html And be ready for an uphill battle, here's what mayor Hahn said - "The law says that the city is only liable if they have notice of a dangerous condition and reasonable notice in order to fix it"... "Obviously, a pothole that comes up after a rainstorm is not something the city would have notice about."- Cheers.

I'd try your insurance company for immediate action. -Eli

i got screwed by this last year. bent a wheel on my audi tt when i hit a monster pothole. called the city, the did an investigation and finally after about a month they told me that they were not liable because they had no knowledge of the pothole. they told me that it would have had to have been in their records that someone reported the pothole. i just left it at that and paid the $300 to get the wheel fixed. t.s. i suppose

What if I were to build a web site where we could log details when we notify the city of a pothole? Then when anyone wrecks their car due to a pothole, they could check the site to see if it has been reported, rather than trust the city to be honest. Hmmmm......

I took out two tires in L.A. earlier this year and was going to file a claim (but being the HWFMR Official Team Procrastinator, didn't get it done within the allowed 6 months). You will have to dig through the City's website, but somewhere in there you will find claim forms for claims against the City. Most probably they will deny the claim, and then you would have to go to court (maybe small claims would work, not sure). It's hell out there right now after all our rains.

yeah i think the whole thing is crap. there is no way for me know if they knew about it or not. im sure they know what no one would actually persure a $300 claim with a lawyer so they know they can tell me any bs they want. it sucks, for sure.

Well, if you were a bit sneaky you could report the pothole now, after your 'incident'. Then, in 14 days put in a claim. Then show them the notification and suggest that they had 14 days notification etc. ..or just file it in the 'stuff happens and there is nobody to litigate against' file, fix the wheel and enjoy driving....

Are there seriously "potholes" in LA ?? I say this as no joke. I have been to Anaheim and LA 3x and never seen one. I have been to: LA, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington, Newport, Santa Ana, Anaheim/all over Orange County. Where are the potholes? Thanks

You guys need to visit the NY/NJ/LI area to experience some "real" potholes. You are forced to constantly scan the road to avoid them and even then, some are unavoidable. I hit a big one while distracted in my wife's Jag (tall tires, soft suspension) and bent the wheel even in that car. The roughest road I have ever traveled in Fl, for instance, is about as smooth as a brand new road surface here two months into winter!

OK East Coast guys... Here's an article that will bring you up to speed... http://www.wavenewspapers.com/defaul...bath=&subname= There's some major potholes out here, like I've never seen before. In the past few weeks we've been pounded with record rains. Imagine we got almost a year's worth of rain in only 3 weeks... Although no complaints right now... just came back from a lunch break and it sure was nice driving with temps in the mid-70's and dry (albeit pothole filed) roads.

Here' s one I had to swerve around......

Where the hell was THAT picture taken?

Not really sure and not really sure it qualifies as a "pot-hole" -Eli

Maybe a sink-hole?

You got it! -Eli

in my seven series beamer last year, they were doing construction in the road (laying down underground piping or electrical wire prolly) and left a 3" deep 1 foot gap in the middle of the street about across 4 lanes (unavoidable) .. I drove over it very very slow on my $5000 20" wheels and tires and as soon as I did, all four my tires popped, and mangled my wheels into a useless set of metal objects... I complained to the city and after six months they denied my letter telling me they weren't responsible because the gap was measured at only 2 3/4 inches that night(bunch of crap), and the requirement for them to be liable was to put a steel plate down is 3 inches... (then i took pictures of them filling up the gap the next morning) off to small claims court I go.. after the claims manager hung up on me when I asked who made the measurement the night before after they denied my claim... good luck with the city... i've never heard of anyone winning a claim against a city for damage to their vehicle... they'll bs they're way out of everything.. just have to bring them to small claims court..

My friends father got paid for 4 AMGs on his SL after bending all 4 due to a damaged road here in NY.

I'm fairly new to the forum, but between your troubles with the porsche and this I'm surprised you still choose to start the car in the morning.

Great idea.

Any ideas/suggestions for a good domain name to use?

When I had my first car (Subaru WRX) I had brand new Volk TE37 on there. First one in the USA. These are JDM Forged Racing wheels. About $600 each. You know when they go to resurface pavement how they have about 4 inch lip in the intersections from grinding down the old pavement??? Will hitting that transition at about 45 flat spotted one of my wheels...LAME!!! City did nothing. Just recently in the 996 I hit a chunk of dry cement on the HWY at about 80. It was morning with the sun coming up and still dark out kinda. It had obviously came off of a construction truck. Flat spotted a BBS LM. That is a $1100 mistake!!!!!! Not even going to bother calling on that one. Its one of those things where it happens and you have to deal with it.

vivid, that's what happened to me.. relating to the grinding of the pavement.. except all 4 of the wheels costing me $5000 were all bent and all four tires flattened.. and that's going 5 mph.. did you try bringing it to small claims court? i'm in the process of filling out the form on monday.. instead of the adjustor telling me who to name on the small claims form, he hung up on me.. so i suppose i'll simply name city of seattle and his name, for him to divulge the information needed for my suit action to collect damages... in terms of the comment about me and cars... some people have a love, hate relationship with them.. i have a hate hate.. they hate me, and i hate them... so they cancel eachother out

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I did nothing about it...should have..but didnt. Next time I will!