Thought I'd add my tale just for fun.
On a rainy dark morning last Spring I hit a pothole (in my car
admittedly) doing about £120 of tyre, wheel and suspension damage. I
was well within the speed limit doing about 45 in a 60. The pothole
was full of water and could not be distinguished from any other puddle
or surface water.
So what? - well the twist is this:
The road had been in deteriorating for a long time.
The council put up those 'We're going to be working on this road'
signs - which you could take as acknowledgement that the road needs
fixed, perhaps (If not it would be a blatant waste of money, no?)
The signs had a date by when the work should be completed - end of
March as it happened.
By end of March, much of the road was greatly improved but, as I
learned on 11th April, not all of it!
I tried to get compensation on grounds that the council were negilgent
because
they knew the road was in poor state - the original signs,
had undertaken to do something about it - the works,
had failed to do that completely by a time they had publicised - end
of March
and
had failed to indicate that work was incomplete - big hole on 11th
April.
I had all kinds of lawyers and insurance companies, claims assessors
and hoops to deal with.
They told me that the road had been surveyed and found fit (therefore
they had no responsibility for damage etc) but when I asked for sight
of the report was told it was not available to me as it was
confidential (freedom of information? Also this is *my* council whose
costs I contribute to, surely the report is in fact mine, as a
citizen!).
When I asked *why* it was confidential no-one could tell me.
I was asked to corroborate my story - impossible as I was in the car
on my own at about 05.30 on a country road.
I was required to submit photos and measurements - fortunately I had
guessed this and went back before they filled it in
I was 'threatened' - they called it advising me - that if the case
went to court and I lost their policy is to pursue me for their costs.
I have to admit that faced with all this for the sake of £120 I gave
up (got a job, family, life and all that), but was left feeling that
this was exactly what the whole process was designed to achieve.
As far as I can see, all that has happened is that the council no
longer puts up such informative signs! Oh, and they did fill in the
pothole pretty sharpish
