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Curious Who Pays For Pothole Damage

 Who is responsible if your car becomes damaged by a pothole?  You or the town/city where the pothole is?  - Karen, W. Roxbury

Potholes are opening up right now and I can only cringe when I think about what the roads are going to look like in the spring.   A big one erupted yesterday on I-95 south near Dedham

I'm already seeing hubcaps popping up in the snow.

The answer to Karen's question is- it depends on where you hit the pothole.

If it's a road that is maintained by a city or a town you can file a claim with that community since it's their responsibility to maintain the road.  In Boston you can do that online right here.

For most other communities you can file a claim with the city or town clerk.

But if you hit a pothole on a state road you're out of luck, because state law gives the state a pass on that.  The state has no liability if a car is damaged.  The only liability comes if a person is injured.

Of course your insurance should cover car damage but remember that your deductible will apply.

Drive carefully. What are you curious about?

What are the conditions of the roads where you do a lot of driving?

 

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