Thousands of drivers have been left out of pocket after failing to receive compensation for pothole damage.
In the last financial year, close to 29,000 drivers put in a claim for compensation after damaging their car in a pothole, but just 25% were given the green light.
That's the equivalent of roughly one claim every 18 minutes over the 12 months according to recent research carried out by the RAC.
Following years of minimal spend on the country's roads; motorists can look forward to work starting on repairing road surfaces after Chancellor George Osborne's recent announcement of a permanent pothole fund.
In the recent Autumn Statement, the Chancellor committed £250 million over the next five years for repairs as well as almost £5billion for general roads maintenance.
"We will be spending over £5 billion on roads maintenance this Parliament, and thanks to the incessant lobbying of my Honourable Friend for Northampton North, Britain now has a permanent pothole fund," he said.
However, many motoring groups think the money will make no real impact.
AA president, Edmund King, said: "The fund may fill 5,000 holes in Blackburn but it won't cover the national maintenance backlog by a country mile."
Bumps ahead
With so many claims being thrown out, are people becoming hesitant to try? The number of claims received would certainly suggest so.
Of the 200 local highways authorities in England, Scotland and Wales that responded to the RAC's Freedom of Information request, 28,971 compensation claims were dealt with in 2014/15. This is compared to 48,945 claims in the previous financial year; equating to one every 11 minutes.
However, the RAC says councils refused the majority of claims, agreeing to pay out in just a quarter of cases. And there are also huge differences in the amount paid out between authorities.
While Bury paid out in 88% of cases and Plymouth 86%, 21 councils paid out for none.
But on a more positive note, the average settlement for a successful claim was up from £286 to £294.
How to claim for pothole damage
If you've suffered damage to your car due to a pothole, follow our six steps to help you lodge a claim.
- Collect evidence - write down the pothole's location, the time and date you hit it and take a photograph if it's safe to do so. Have the car's damage assessed at a garage and get the mechanic's report in writing; you'll need this when making your case
- Who's responsible? The next step is to find out who is responsible for the road's upkeep; different authorities are responsible for maintaining certain types of roads. For example Scottish motorways are covered by three different maintenance firms depending on where you are. England's motorways are looked after by Highways England, and they're Traffic Wales' responsibility in Wales. See Money Saving Expert's full list of who's in charge of what
- Report it - once you've established who's in charge of the road you can lodge a formal complaint - see if the relevant body has a form you can fill in. Include as much information as possible as well as the mechanic's report, repair costs and photos
- Got an offer? Does the offer cover your costs? If not, be persistent and go back to the responsible body. You have a right to fair compensation if the council or highways agency has failed in its duty to keep the road in a good state of repair.
- Offer rejected? If you feel the claim's been unfairly thrown out you can seek legal advice or make a case through the small claims court. However, this may be time-consuming and is only likely to be worthwhile if you're facing a hefty repair bill
- Claiming through insurance - if you have comprehensive cover you can claim for pothole damage on your car insurance, however it's worth looking at the cost of the damage and your excess payments and check if the claim will affect your No Claims Bonus
