Hi guys,

Going along an unlit road we've smashed into a pothole, road was pretty busy at the time so wasn't prepared to endanger myself walking around in the road taking pics, but I'm going back in the morning in daylight when its much safer to do, it scared us something rotten what with the car being flung up into the air.

How does one bang in a claim against the council for this  ?? 

Tyre is fractured and the rim is smashed in and the car is pulling to the left.

Do I still have to buy a new wheel & tyre myself ? or ???

I'm all ears for advice.

To be able to make a claim against the council you will need photos of the pothole, with measurements of the size and depth of the hole.

If there are workshops (shops where metal is shaped by machine) which have the proper machine then probably it could be repaired.

You could ask the tyre-wheel saler for any information. Perhaps the tyre saler will know someplace-someone to fix it.

 

1 minute ago, unofix said:

To be able to make a claim against the council you will need photos of the pothole, with measurements of the size and depth of the hole.

Going back tomorrow to measure up the hole and take pics, seen people put cans of food in potholes to show how bad they are.

 

2 minutes ago, Bol said:

If there are workshops (shops where metal is shaped by machine) which have the proper machine then probably it could be repaired.

I know of one place but I've looked closely at the rim and there might be a crack....or not a crack!

A new wheel is £222 😲

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393331847177?fits=Car+Make%3AFord|Model%3AFiesta&epid=17016477450&itmmeta=01HRG5GQ6P08YS9NT6YBBE38P3&hash=item5b9467b009:g:JakAAOSwxqlgo3kA

I’d google to see if you have a local wheel refurb-er near you. I’ve not used the one near me but I’m told by friends they'd repair warped/cracked alloys for around £100. 
 

I'm guessing it's on the front?

Swop the rear wheels to the front, replace the bent wheel with the spare wheel on the back - drive the car.... how is the steering?

Take the bent wheel to a wheel refurbishment specialist.  It should be significantly less than 100 GBP if not cracked, for straightening, then full acid-dip, repair, repaint, and baking. 

Buy a matching replacement tyre on the internet - use Camskill to check availability and prices - use them if they are cheapest!  Obviously the wheel refurb people will fit this new tyre for you as part of the work - no extra cost.

Put the invoices into the local council system with your photographs.  Good luck.

 

25 minutes ago, orangecurry said:

I'm guessing it's on the front?

how is the steering ?

Yes front left.

It's pulling to the left let go of the wheel and the car goes to the left straight away.

I've remembered I've got a slightly kerbed alloy at the back of the shed, so dragged it out and going to fit it to the car, tread pattern is facing the wrong way though, so that needs rotating.

When that wheel is on the car I'll take it and get the suspension looked at and also get them to check the tracking.

Looked at the rim this morning and there's a crack easily 6 inches long, this wheel isn't going to get repaired but skipped.

This is the kind of photos that will successfully help your claim. You'll also need a specific location 'map' on which 'google maps' will be really handy, and take a screen shot of it...

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

This is the kind of photos that will successfully help your claim. You'll also need a specific location 'map' on which 'google maps' will be really handy, and take a screen shot of it...

Thanks for the advice I'll be going out in a few hours to take some pics in the daylight.

Really sorry to hear this Ian. It must be really annoying!

I think after getting the photos most councils want 2 or 3 quotes.

The photo with some kind of object to show depth also advised.

But above all make sure it's safe, I've heard of people getting hit by cars doing this.

I have had a few pothole bumps myself and my local ford garage have always kindly done a check on steering etc FOC

Halfords do too. But now they own a tyre company it may not be a good option anymore.

Don't get me started on Councils  😉

4 hours ago, Ian Lanc said:

I've remembered I've got a slightly kerbed alloy at the back of the shed, so dragged it out and going to fit it to the car, tread pattern is facing the wrong way though, so that needs rotating.

When that wheel is on the car I'll take it and get the suspension looked at and also get them to check the tracking.

Put two matching wheels/tyres/treadwear on the front (i.e. the current rears) otherwise you'll be wasting your time and money.

You can also do a visual compare of the suspension as you do the swop - there may be something very obvious.

2 hours ago, SteveStrat said:

But above all make sure it's safe, I've heard of people getting hit by cars doing this.

Thanks for the advice pal. appreciate it.

Son took the ruined wheel off the car today and fitted a spare.

Went back to the scene and its actually two big holes 5 inch deep by 2 feet wide by 3 feet long each, whilst faffing taking pics it was very very dangerous indeed, the road is a 60 with cars doing 70 all the time, me measuring the road should not be happening.....''PERIOD'' I endangered myself and what for to claim for a measly £300 odd quid, my life is worth more than that, i've done another report and told them straight i shouldn't be doing such a thing, a bright official van with warning lights/inspectors etc etc should be doing that job.

1 hour ago, orangecurry said:

Put two matching wheels/tyres/treadwear on the front (i.e. the current rears) otherwise you'll be wasting your time and money.

You can also do a visual compare of the suspension as you do the swop - there may be something very obvious.

When the ruined wheel was removed this morning I had a serious good look at the suspension/link arm/track rod arm etc, nothing 'looks' bent but who's to say there isn't, I'll be getting a brand new wheel, then two brand new front tyres fitted, then getting the whole front checked thoroughly over.......I don't need this stress!

I've taken other pictures with measurements, just 4 here to show the bad holes, they'd gefo' kill a cyclist if their front wheel went in and they are flung over the bars!!

8 minutes ago, Ian Lanc said:

they'd gefo' kill a cyclist if their front wheel went in and they are flung over the bars!!

 

Nearly saw that the other day! Cyclist went through what appeared to be a puddle which was concealing what must have been a massive hole, fired him straight up in the air! Miraculously he came down upright and very shaken but otherwise ok, bike was a mess though.

This is why cyclists (including me) are not at the very side of the road and avoid puddles - give them some slack - they can't risk death just to move over a bit. 😊

34 minutes ago, Ian Lanc said:

I'll be getting a brand new wheel, then two brand new front tyres fitted, then getting the whole front checked thoroughly over.......I don't need this stress!

All great moves - but you may not get the council to pay for anything.  I'd still be tempted to source a spare from Ebay - there are plenty of straight wheels for sale, as this will save you money.

Which wheel style do you have?

3 hours ago, orangecurry said:

This is why cyclists (including me) are not at the very side of the road and avoid puddles - give them some slack - they can't risk death just to move over a bit. 😊

I used to be a serious cyclist from the late 70's up until about 2012, unable to ride a bike no more because i've a bad back and live a life of pain 24/7, when i gave up cycling my world came to an end.

4 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Nearly saw that the other day! Cyclist went through what appeared to be a puddle which was concealing what must have been a massive hole, fired him straight up in the air! Miraculously he came down upright and very shaken but otherwise ok, bike was a mess though.

A cyclist was killed instantly very close to RAF Waddington, be around 2010 I think, one sunday morning clubrun a gang of lads/men enjoying a ride out, then everyone is swerving to miss a pothole, unfortunately one man went into the hole, the impact snapped his forks clean off, sending him towards the tarmac at 30 mph, the poor guy smashed his face hard into the tarmac, everyone stopped thinking he'd knocked himself out, he wasn't knocked out....He was dead!! The impact had snapped his neck.

Ambulance & Police are called and the road was shut.

Somehow Lincolnshire County Council found out and after the road was reopened they secretly sent in a highways team and dug out the pothole and redid a massive section, Later the police told the council what had happened and they'll have a serious case against them, explaining the pothole & death of the cyclist, an official from the council then said.....''what pothole theres no pothole in that area''......Police shocked by their response told them you better not be trying to cover up this death caused by you, replying ''no case against us theres no pothole go look''......Police told the official you should be ashamed of yourselves and it won't work because we've taken all photos of the scene even the pothole, last time I knew the cyclists family had received many thousands of pounds if not millions in compensation.

Lousy councils if they only cared instead of lining their own pockets.

4 hours ago, orangecurry said:

All great moves - but you may not get the council to pay for anything.  I'd still be tempted to source a spare from Ebay - there are plenty of straight wheels for sale, as this will save you money.

Which wheel style do you have?

I'm hearing it everywhere with councils not paying up, some even taking two years or more to sort out, I think that's a plan by them in a hope the victim forgets about the claim.
These are the wheels we've got on the car, been on since new but kerbed one a few years back, so got a new one which cost me £160 from Ford, from the same dealership and the same wheel the price is now £222.

...sent you a PM...

Blimey that's a bad pothole Ian

It's like you say, you look out for them but it's not easy, because from the sort of distance you need to react, it's hard to determine if that dark patch is newly tarmacced repair, puddle or indeed a pothole.

I hit one exactly like that one but it was twice as long, luckily no damage to wheel or tyre.

That's when I did my research on how to claim.

Apparently I forgot to mention I had seen that if they have marked a painted white square around the hole they reckon they are almost exempt from any blame, which in my opinion is ludicrous to say the least, as if we have time to see a faded white painted line round a pothole especially at night!

It appears yours doesn't have any white markings round it so that means you have a better chance.

You're right we shouldn't have to be fannying around measuring it with traffic wizzing around, I think the council should be made to accompany you at least.

I was able to use my Dashcam for one I hit on the M56 but that's the highways dept, and luckily again no damage.

I am starting to develop an extremely unhealthy attitude towards councils at the moment, but better not dwell on that one on here :-)

41 minutes ago, SteveStrat said:

Apparently I forgot to mention I had seen that if they have marked a painted white square around the hole they reckon they are almost exempt from any blame

I am starting to develop an extremely unhealthy attitude towards councils at the moment, but better not dwell on that one on here 🙂

On two county council websites i've looked at they do two colours for potholes white or yellow both to distinguish the hole but both having different time scales to when after marking they are fixed, on both sites it says highlighted potholes, anyone hits them then its the drivers fault because the paint shows them up and can't claim, i've seen marked up potholes untouched for many months, eventually the paint has worn off.

Not on your own about the council highways, they get it off me every single week, now I'm just so sick of reporting i'm feeling the need to not bother no more.