It has been recorded by the Met Office that the UK has had its highest amount of rainfall in April this year since records began in 1910. Although the rainfall has been wanted by many keen gardeners, it has not been welcomed by Britain’s road users.
Drivers and Cyclists may have noticed that their travel over Britain’s roads has become increasingly bumpy. This is because the wet weather has caused major damage to our road surfaces and large potholes have started to develop on our roads. As a road user, you will know that driving over a pothole can not only cause damage to your vehicle but also in some cases it can cause injury to you as well.
If you are a driver and have been unlucky enough to have had a bumpy ride recently which has caused pain in the neck, shoulder or back, or a cyclists that have been thrown off their bike due to a defect in the road, you may have a claim for compensation.
In accordance with Section 41 Highways Act 1980 the Local Authorities have a duty to maintain the highways at a public expense and therefore owe a duty to every road user to ensure the roads and pathways are in a reasonable state of repair. Therefore, with the increase in potholes you should see Local Authorities busy this spring filling potholes to prevent a breach of their statutory duty.
However, just because you have been injured by a pothole does not give you an automatic claim for compensation. The key issue is whether the Local Authority has acted reasonably by conducting regular inspections of the road and whether they have made a repair once a pothole has been notified. Here at The Injury Lawyers we investigate all these options to help you in bringing a successful personal injury claim.
If you believe that you have a claim for compensation then contact our friendly team here at The Injury Lawyers now to discuss your claim in more detail and let’s see whether we can smooth out the process of making your personal injury claim.
