Pothole Problem? State Will Pay For Car Damage...Maybe

NASHVILLE, TN -- With wet weather and rollicking temperatures - skyrocketing to record highs after frigid stretches, roads in Middle Tennessee are opening up with potholes with alacrity.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation told WSMV it received more than 50 emails over the Presidents' Day weekend complaining of potholes in Davidson County alone.

Potholes are caused by a combination of traffic stress and changing weather. Expansion and contraction from freezing water and melting ice exacerbates cracks caused by traffic, collapsing the top layer of a road surface, opening up a hole.

And those holes can cause significant damage to vehicles.

Drivers who incur damage do have some recourse. If the damage was on a road maintained by the state - interstates, U.S. Highways or state routes - claims can be filed through the state's treasury department's Division of Claims Administration.

But, predictably, there are plenty of requirements and some caveats.

The state will reimburse drivers if the pothole causing damage had been previously reported or otherwise there had been plenty of time to repair it. The claims administration has 90 days to review the complaint and it must receive two damage estimates before cutting a check.

Tennessee drivers aren't generally successful with the process, either. Between July 2016 and December 2017, 488 people filed pothole claims with the state. Nine were approved.

Drivers can report potholes on line for Metro-maintained roads and those that incur significant damage from potholes can file a claim with Metro, but to receive payment, drivers must prove negligence. The approval rate from the city isn't any better than that of the state, with only one approved between 2013 and 2016.

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