DrEvil

Stuart & others,

Last Thursday evening I was driving in the Farnham area, on a road parallel to the railway station, was doing about 20mph, came round a corner, and BANG! suspension bottomed out passenger side front.. there was a new pot-hole!

I usually go down this road once a week and play dodge the pot-holes... they seem to be employing workmen to create new ones !!

Anyhow, it mis-aligned my steering wheel, but there is no visible damage or though I havent had a full geometry check yet (later this week). The gripe is this has cost me time and money (morning off work), do I have a case for forwarding that cost onto the council for that area?

This may sound petty, but it could have easily trashed the front skirt too if the pot-hole had been slightly deeper...

Cheers, Alex

Mark Underwood

Alex

Same happened to me once before. Go back to the scene and slowly drive into pothole. Take photograph of car and wheel in the pot hole as this will show depth of hole etc. Also take pics of the scene, from other side of the road etc.

Take photos and repair to your solicitor and he should contact the Highways dept of local council threatening them with legal recovery of your costs etc.

I got repaid my costs plus new wheel and tyre in about six weeks

Good luck

Mark Underwood

Alex

Same happened to me once before. Go back to the scene and slowly drive into pothole. Take photograph of car and wheel in the pot hole as this will show depth of hole etc. Also take pics of the scene, from other side of the road etc.

Take photos and repair to your solicitor and he should contact the Highways dept of local council threatening them with legal recovery of your costs etc.

I got repaid my costs plus new wheel and tyre in about six weeks

Good luck

Mark Underwood

Alex

Same happened to me once before. Go back to the scene and slowly drive into pothole. Take photograph of car and wheel in the pot hole as this will show depth of hole etc. Also take pics of the scene, from other side of the road etc.

Take photos and repair to your solicitor and he should contact the Highways dept of local council threatening them with legal recovery of your costs etc.

I got repaid my costs plus new wheel and tyre in about six weeks

Good luck

JasonHook

Marks' advice is sound. Its a civil matter rather than a criminal one.
Jason

Stuart H

Don't know very much about civil law. All I can suggest is that you follow Marks' advice!

Cheers

Stu



[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 13 November 2000).]

DrEvil

Cheers Mark & Jason,

yes, I should have remembered this is a civil matter... I will go and see if the pot-hole is still unfilled, apparently the local council are a little devious when it comes to probs with this road, other users have complained bitterly and not got anywhere fast.

I will check it out, and get pics if possible.. remains to be seen if the geometry of the car is still intact!
Just pleased the alloy & suspension were fine...

Rgds, Alex

DrEvil

Cheers Stuart, sorry having a bad day, so not thinking straight...

Rgds, Alex

PS. do you have a police scoob yet? from the pics they look really evil!

Stuart H

What? Like this?



[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 13 November 2000).]

DrEvil

.. that'll be the one!

Must be a real bind having to drive a scoob and get paid for it

KF

DrEvil,
Take care on that there piece of road. I reckon that the pot hole is something to do with Farnham tyres: you drive through the pot hole, limp to the station to change the wheel, and bingo. A tyre / zorst place *right* there
If you do go measuring the pot hole, don't do it in the wet, and take a mate with a torch and a warning triangle. Lethal road.
KF.

DrEvil

KF,

Yes, must be an evil plot to get business, perhaps CCTV should be set up to catch the tyre&exhaust employees digging holes in the road in the early hours

Thanx for the warning on the taking pics front..

Cheers, Alex

Mark Underwood

Alex

Refering to my earlier posting the pothole I hit was rather deep. From memory it was around 6 inches deep and about 18inches in diameter.

the highways department have a duty to maintain our roads in a "servicable condition".

When I hit the pothole the car landed with such a feroisus thump I stopped. On looking at the damage the alloy wheel (front nearside had a damage on the rim and needless to say the tyre had blown with a gaping hole inn the sidewall. The tyre had a 40 series profile.

Camera in hand, I viewed this incident as an accident and duly took a series of piccies. I changed the the wheel for the spare and hot footed down to the tyre depot for a report. In short the rim was not repairable and the tyre needed replacing. On to the dealer to ordewr a new alloy wheel.

I also reported the "incident" to the local boys in blue who advised that they were not interested and suggested I contact the Highways Dept. On contacting Highways Dept of the City Council I was met with officialdom etc so I went to the solicitor.

He made the claim on my behalf and submitted same with photos and repair bills. After around two weeks of hearing nothing he had a reply acknowledging the claim etc. A week later a further letter was received that the council was satisfied with my claim after investigating it at that payment would follow. It duly arrived.

Councils whether they be local, parish or county councils carry 3rd party risk insurance against such claims.

Good luck and dont take NO for an answer. See ya on Saturday.

DrEvil

Mark,

Cheers, I've had to cancel the geo check for this week due to work/ice commitments IB have got my car for thur/fri and Saturday if you include the day you're giving it waxwizzard treatment

See you saturday, rgds, Alex

Neil F

I had a slightly different situation but just as annoying:
I turned into my parents road the other night(I don't mean I morphed into a stretch of black tarmac with houses on each side......) and proceeded at a leisurly pace (25-30; seriously) when I noticed at the last second that a new speed ramp had been installed.
Now I know this sounds like a case of "open your eyes mate" but it was dark and the lump had no fluorescent white markings on it; you just don't see it!
The impact was sickening but there doesn't appear to be any damage. Do you think there could potentially be a claim here?

Neil.

DrEvil

Where my close's road joins the main road, there is a dip, so I have to roll my car out of the close to avoid grounding-out my front skirt... great!

As for new speed rams, it can be difficult to spot some of them, especially if they aint painted!.. the Mx5 i had suffered because of that on day.. doh!

Sith

Stuart,

One Scoob I hope I don't have follow me or want to have a 'chat' with me.



P.

mik

Hello Mr Evil and others.
Been a "viewer" of scoobynet for a while - time for my first post.....

A word of caution when returning to take pictures of "wheel in hole".

A few years back this happened to a mate in his mini. Wrote off wheel, tyre and lower balljoint etc. Due to this, we returned next day in my car to take pix.

Whilst I sat at roadside, with hazard lights flashing, a Sierra Estate approached from behind, stopped, then drove past at approx 1mph gazing intently at my two mates with camera in front of my car.

Simultaneously a lady approached from the other direction, concentrating fully on make up application, and drove head on into Sierra - closing speed only approx 20mph, but big damage to both cars.

Checked "sightlines" later - each driver had approx 170 feet clear view of my car, but were both otherwise occupied.

Police decided that I was at fault :- neither of them remembered my hazard lights being on, and despite the fact that my mates were out of the car and DID note my hazard lights they were deemed "non witnesses" (after police took their statements!).

After a month of pant - wetting I ended up with just a parking fine (phew).

I'm sure the fact I was still a student with a daft haircut, driving an x-reg "Superstrada" (no flames! We had some great adventures together) did not help.

To add insult to injury, Mini owning mate never got his *rse in gear to claim for damage to his car......students eh?

Mik

DrEvil

Mik,

Nasty mate, I will bare that in mind too.. perhaps I could borrow some road closed signs from somewhere.. hmmm..

Oh, and yet again.. I didnt spend 7 years at Evil medical school to be called Mr!

Stuart H

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Dr Evil wrote:
<B>Must be a real bind having to drive a scoob and get paid for it[/quote]

Trust me, it's a real bugger!!

Sith

They don't all stand out like that one does though!!


[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 14 November 2000).]

DrEvil

LOL @ Stuart H

Sith - look out for a green one on the A3/M3 Guildford/camberley area

Sith

Dr Eeeeevil,

Cheers, I saw the Green one parked up in Guildford town centre. Tall - thin copper got into it.

Lets just say that this Sith Master doesn't do much speeding on the A3 and surrounding areas. If any.

Stuart,

More's the pity that they don't all stand out like that. Fighting chance then.

P.

PS. Just a thought. This isn't admisable as evidence is it?

[This message has been edited by Sith (edited 15 November 2000).]