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Hole amount

Recently my wife and I were driving from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh to catch a plane from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik (one flight a week). To our dismay we hit a pothole that we could not avoid because of an oncoming car. The tyre and wheel were damaged so badly that the latex liquid (Audi's alternative to a spare wheel) would not work. The consequence of the damage in cost terms were as follows:- Taxi to Edinburgh £180. On return, hotel in Edinburgh as we had missed last train home £95. Train to Aberdeen on our return £85. Taxi home from Aberdeen station £40. New tyre £100 New wheel £283. Total £783. Do you think it would be reasonable to claim for all or some of these amounts from the roads department of Aberdeenshire county council. I am quite prepared to take the small claims track if necessary.

Asked on 19 December 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
What you need to do is check with both www.potholes.co.uk and
www.fixmystreet.co.uk to find out if the pothole was reported and
not repaired at least two weeks before you fell into it. If it was reported and was not repaired then you have the basis of a claim. But councils cannot immediately be held liable for every pothole that suddenly opens up on their roads.
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