Clark's Automotive Full Svc

Oh No, Not Another Pothole!

A driver in Middletown, Ohio recently hit the state's worst pothole, costing him nearly $6,000 to repair the damage caused to his Lexus. He reported that the worst part of the entire situation was that no one wants to take responsibility for what happened to his car on an interstate highway.

At Clark's Automotive Full Svc in Baltimore, MD, we repair cars that have been damaged by potholes all the time, so we know that they're a problem here locally and nationally as well.

Chris Runnels ran over a five-foot-long pothole on Interstate 71 near Wilmington, Ohio. It was definitely one of the very worst he had ever encountered, without any visual warning prior to driving over it. Within seconds of hitting it, he said, it sounded similar to a metal trash can filled with nuts and bolts.

As a result, his electronic air shocks were instantly destroyed, which ended up costing him $5,185. Ouch!

Obviously distraught, Runnels collected his receipts and took a series of photos of the enormous pothole. He submitted his evidence to the Ohio Department of Transportation and asked for reimbursement due to blatant negligence.

Most U.S. states have similar laws concerning potholes, but in some cases getting the money isn't a slam dunk. The law says that if the offending pothole appeared recently, it's deemed to be an act of God and no one is responsible for it. But if it is reported before, then the state or city is normally responsible for any damage that's caused. Runnels claimed that since the pothole had obviously been fixed at least once, the state DOT was aware of it.

So when Runnels received a rejection letter from the Ohio Court of Claims, stating that road crews had no way of realizing that their patch had failed, he was understandably shocked. The state would not admit responsibility and said it was God's fault and Runnels said he can't contact God for reimbursement.

The situation looks dire indeed, but Runnels is not going to give up. He recently set up a Facebook group called "The ODOT owes me money," and claimed that he will fight it in the State Supreme Court if he does not get his satisfaction.

Potholes are unfortunately an all too familiar nuisance on our roads and highways, because they get more traffic now than ever before. Potholes make our roads look sloppy, but maybe more importantly, they pose a serious threat to the safety of everyone, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

Our advice is that if you run over a pothole, take notes and collect photos of the pothole and any damage, and keep copious and detailed records. Submit them promptly to the city, county or state where it happened and then pray.

 Clark's Automotive Full Svc, 1320 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21231 

Sources: NHTSA and Wikipedia