Pothole Damage: How to Protect Your Vehicle and Your Wallet

It comes out of nowhere and when you least expect it: the thunk that tells you that you hit a major pothole. Most people don’t even know how bad the damage is until later when they get home. Even if you immediately get out of your vehicle for a quick inspection, sometimes pothole car damage isn’t noticeable—but it can eventually lead to tire, wheel, and suspension problems.

Don't underestimate what car damage from potholes can do. A simple bump can cause immediate damage and then lead to additional issues in the future. Getting your car looked at as soon as possible is the only way to know what you're dealing with and to get a mechanic involved in fixing it. The sooner you get a mechanic to look at the problem, the easier it will be to get an estimate to get it fixed and to move on with your life.

Some pothole car damage doesn't cause many problems at all, but other times it can lead to major issues in your car. You might even have a claim or a complaint against a local entity about the pothole, but you need to discuss this with a lawyer. 

If you have reason to believe that your pothole car damage occurred due to the negligence of another party, contact Morgan & Morgan, the nation’s largest personal injury law firm, for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. You shouldn’t have to shoulder the expenses of an incident that wasn’t your fault. We can help you right away to learn what your legal options are.

What to Do After Potholes Car Damage Affects You?

If you've been injured in an accident, you may need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you with any bodily injury or other medical conditions associated with your accident. 

However, this may not be the only type of condition that affects you after a wreck. For example, car damage issues can emerge after you've hit a pothole. A pothole may be underestimated in terms of the damage that it can leave behind, but it can be deceptively severe and can lead to extensive and costly repairs for the person whose vehicle is injured. Understanding what to do after a pothole car damage concern is extremely important because it may be part of a singular claim against a responsible entity, or it could be part of a bigger, more complex personal injury claim.

What Are The Impacts of Potholes Car Damage?

There are two primary factors that influence the severity and type of damage caused by potholes to your vehicle: the depth of the pothole itself and the speed at which you hit the pothole. 

Potholes can cause many different types of damage, from simply scraping the bottom of your vehicle to more severe problems with your car that require extensive repairs. 

Your tires are the most vulnerable part of your vehicle when it comes to pothole car damage. Some of the most common issues from potholes include tread separation, sidewall bulges, or punctures.

How Do Potholes Cause Tire Car Damage?

Tread separation happens when your tire is compressed against your wheel as you strike the hard edge of a pothole. This can lead to your tire rubber being sliced. Since the vast majority of rims on vehicles are aluminum, driving into a deep pothole makes it very easy to dent these. 

A sidewall bulge can happen when your tire strikes a pothole, and the airtight liner of the tire separates from the sidewall. This allows air into the body of the tire causing a bubble that could blow out at any point in time. 

If you hit a pothole, it is always a good idea to carefully evaluate your tires. If you notice any damage to them, it is a good idea to get these changed as soon as possible. If your rims end up dented, you'll want to take action to replace these as soon as possible. Dented rims can lead to poor seals between the tire and the rim, which can ultimately cause flat tires and air leaks.

Could My Wheels Be Hurt Due to Potholes Car Damage?

Pothole car damage can be extensive and can even influence your wheels. Potholes can cause chips, cracks, and bends in your wheel, which ultimately can prevent your wheel from forming a tight seal with the tire. As you might expect, any wheel bent on your car will not be able to roll smoothly. It is often very hard to find chips and cracks inside your wheel after hitting a pothole. It may seem to you like your car is driving normally, but you may have a minor issue that could lead to a much bigger problem.

Who Is Responsible for Potholes Car Damage?

When hitting a pothole, your accident may be worse than you expect because you could lose control of the vehicle. The chain reaction that occurs when you strike a pothole is frightening and swift. The sudden impact, noise, and associated collision can also cause emotional impacts. 

When you're hurt in a vehicle accident caused by another party's reckless or negligent behavior, you may be eligible to receive compensation from that driver. Determining liability for a tire blowout or pothole issue is very complex. There are three different parties who may be held responsible for a pothole accident; the maker or installer of the tire or wheel, the local government authority responsible for maintaining safe pavement, or the driver directly. 

In determining who may be eligible to pay out compensation for incurred damages, a thorough investigation may be necessary to evaluate all of these suspected parties. 

If you were hurt in an accident because another driver struck a pothole and ultimately swerved and hit your vehicle, you can hire a knowledgeable car accident attorney like the pothole lawyers at Morgan & Morgan to help investigate this claim and fight for justice. A knowledgeable attorney will be able to help you evaluate all possible damages that you could recover in a pothole car damage claim, such as lost wages, medical expenses, and vehicle repairs. 

If you were driving and hit a pothole, which caused a tire blowout, you may also have a product liability claim against the installer or the manufacturer of the wheel and tire. The tire itself could have been defective, causing a blowout from a very simple impact, or it might have been improperly installed. A dedicated product liability lawyer like those working at Morgan & Morgan may be able to help you determine if another entity is responsible for tire damage caused by a defective product. You should always work with someone who has experience in product liability if you are not sure whether a defective product has influenced your situation. 

Finally, your local municipality could be responsible for severe potholes as it is their responsibility to maintain and repair roads and to keep them relatively free of damage or defect. This is also a situation in which a knowledgeable personal injury attorney can be very valuable for recommending the appropriate action. Lawyers must typically prove that the municipality or the city should have known about the situation or already did know about the pothole and were negligent in failing to correct the condition.

Where Else on My Vehicle May Be Damaged Due to a Pothole? 

Your tire and your wheel are not the only things that may sustain damage after striking a pothole. Your vehicle body, undercarriage, exhaust, steering, and suspension could all be influenced by you striking a pothole, depending on the speed at which you hit the pothole and the depth of the pothole itself. 

It is very important after any incident with a pothole to stop and gather evidence from the scene. This is especially important if you will be pursuing a claim against a municipality, as you will need to take quick action in order to file this claim and will likely need evidence to argue that the local government authority knew about the situation. Schedule a time to meet with a qualified attorney at Morgan & Morgan today to learn more about your rights.

Do I Really Need a Lawyer for Pothole Damage?

It makes the most sense to hire an attorney for a pothole damage case when you also have substantial personal injuries in play. This is because your car accident lawyer will need to show that you suffered serious injuries due to the presence of the pothole. 

For example, if you lost control of your vehicle and this led to critical injuries, you likely have high medical bills and other expenses associated with the accident. For less serious cases involving pothole damage, you may be able to resolve these issues directly. However, if your future medical care and other damages are on the line, it is vital to hire a car accident lawyer like the attorneys working at Morgan & Morgan. This is because you may have substantial damage to your vehicle as well as critical medical conditions. With so many things to worry about, it is vital to have the support of a qualified and knowledgeable attorney. 

Contact Morgan & Morgan for Help

If you’re dealing with the aftermath of potholes car damage, our lawyers can help with any problems with your insurance company, as well as personal injury claims if someone else hit you after they struck a pothole. Whatever the circumstance may be, you can always get your case evaluated with us for free.

Contact Morgan & Morgan today to get a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more about your case and your options to move forward.