City of Jackson could be held liable for pothole damage
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JACKSON, Tenn. — The City of Jackson could be held liable for property damage caused by potholes.
Potholes clutter city streets, causing problems for drivers and sometimes expensive repairs.
Tammy Darnell said she recently hit one. “The other night I come over here at Jackson and I hit one, and I think I might have to get my front end aligned because of it,” Darnell said.
If a pothole causes property damage, the city could be held responsible. “It all depends on the negligence of the city, if the city was negligent in that process in you hitting that pot hole,” Jackson’s Occupational Health and Safety Officer Tosh Newman said.
Newman works for Jackson’s Risk Management Department. He said if pothole damages your vehicle, first contact the street department and report the problem. Next, take pictures of the damage, the pot hole and the surrounding area.
Any details that they can give us, that will help the process move a little bit quicker,” Newman said.
Then fill out a claim form and turn it over to the city. Newman said they will investigate and try to determine if crews had a reasonable amount of time to fix the problem.
Darnell said she did not know that was even an option. “They should be able to if it causes damage to your vehicle,” she said. “They should be liable for it.”
The city said it received dozens of calls about potholes but only about five or six claims.
Click here for the property damage claim form: www.cityofjackson.net/images/uploads/content_files/CITY_OF_JACKSON_CLAIM_FORM.pdf
