You may be aware local authorities have a duty to maintain public roads to ensure they are safe for you to use. Therefore, if the local authority fails to meet this standard and roads become dangerous, the authority may be liable for damages or injuries you have suffered.
If you have been injured or your vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle has been damaged due to potholes, unsafe or poorly maintained roads, you could be entitled to compensation.
In many claims for compensation, local authorities argue they took all reasonable steps to ensure a road was not dangerous. This means they must have a reasonable system of inspection and maintenance to check the roads. To challenge this possible defence, it is important to gather as much information as possible to help strengthen your claim.
The below is a non-exhaustive list of information which will be useful in your claim:
- photographs of the road or pothole, including any measurements of the pothole or defect,
- records of any damage caused to your vehicle, motorcycle or bicycle,
- estimates of any damage to repair your vehicle, motorcycle or bicycle,
- medical records of any injuries suffered (although we can obtain these with your signed written authority).
Together with this information, we will assess whether the pothole or defect in the road was previously reported, whether the pothole or defect was dangerous, and the frequency of any inspections. We will then obtain highway authority maintenance records and their inspection logs to evaluate whether the authority met its obligations.
If you believe your local authority has failed in its duty, we are here to help guide you through the steps to obtain successful compensation.
Contact our dispute resolution team now at 01756 799000 or email us at info@mewiessolicitors.co.uk