Pennies for potholes
In last week’s blog, I said I was going to look into the rumor that you could apply to the city for compensation if your vehicle suffers damage from hitting a pothole. Well I did … and you can!!
But making a claim for damages and actually receiving compensation are two very different things.
I will tell you how to submit a claim in just a second but first I need to stress that the burden of proof lies with you. That means you have to prove that the city has in some way been negligent or careless; for example, that the pothole had already been reported to the appropriate authorities prior to your car being damaged and that nothing had been done about it.
Other evidence can also be useful. If you can, try and get testimony from other drivers and area residents in order to verify the existence of the troublesome pothole. If it is safe to do so, taking pictures and measurements may also help your case.
Once you have all your evidence, you need to write a letter that includes your name, phone number and address as well as the date. You also need to include the date and location of the occurrence and give details of exactly what happened as well as an estimate of the damages.
If you plan on making a claim, it is really important that you do it as soon after the incident as possible.
When your claim letter is ready call (416) 397-4212 and a recorded message will tell you how to either mail, e-mail or fax it in.
Each claim is forwarded to the city’s insurance adjustors for an evaluation. A letter of acknowledgement should be mailed out to you within a few weeks. This letter is simply to inform you that the claim has been received.
But don’t hold your breath. As in most matters such as these, the evaluation process can take awhile.
Good luck!!
March 16th, 2008 at 9:15 am
It seems city always has a way out of every claim one make against them. Is it not city’s responsibility to provide pothole free roads? Afterall, we pay hefty taxes for that service. In the past 6 months, I damaged my car due to potholes twice costing approximately 1000/- on the repair.
I don’t understand the requirement that the ‘pothole should already been reported’.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I don’t understand how a first world country like Canada can NOT have money for swimming pools, no money to build subways or no money for fixing potholes. The 401 Eastbound between Markham and Neilson in Scarborough is an embarrassment.
Toronto just calls itself world class but it is way behind other major cities when it comes to services such as roads and transit. NYC subways may be dirty but they run 24 hours, is vast and now even new cities like Dubai are catching up!