OMG - there are so many potholes here in Southern Ontario and they are so huge after the winter that several years ago my brother borrowed my car one day and being on a highway and driving at 80 km he hit one. Damaged my front wheel struts which cost a lot to repair.
We also have so many in and around Toronto, where I lived for 49 years until last year, they have several days every spring and hold pothole blitzes to fill them!!!!!
Thanks so much for your comment Trudy! A pothole blitz? I think here we have pothole "let's ignore it season" which seems to last only 4 seasons a year. At least in Canada you have the weather as an excuse.
I'm shocked. Its disgraceful behaviour by the council/highways.
It's a huge help that you have shared this information but sad you have no compensation for how you suffered.
And I imagine many others have had similar experiences and with same outcome.
I've incurred massive expenses I've paid out for in my car with potholes but I never would have thought to measure their depth or take photo as often its a dark lane!
Like you the awful injury is an indication that its deep.
As with my car.
I'm sorry you were hurt and for the waste of your time given over to claiming.
I hope your arm has healed up well and thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for your comment, Beverley. I can well imagine how angry and frustrated car owners must feel to have their vehicles damaged by a pothole. Interestingly, a road pothole has to be over 4mm deep. It's only us town people who get away with tripping over 20 or 25mm potholes. Actually, I don't think pavements and roads should be lumped together for the purposes of compensation. Truthfully, I'd be interested to hear from ANYBODY who won a compensation claim for injury due to a pothole! My arm healed really well, but it was a real nuisance for a couple of months. I didn't have the strength to even lift a kettle, and had to have someone come and wash my hair for me, as I couldn't lift my arm over my head. I had to sleep semi-seated, and I slept on the sofa for a couple of months as well. I did learn to write with my left hand, so I suppose that was a bonus. I am now ambidextrous. Woohoo! Something I always wanted. (Didn't want it that badly, but still it is kind of nice to have.) Thanks so much for your kind words and sympathy.
I’m so sorry to read this - sorry for you pain wise and even more sorry frustration wise. What a shit show. Bloody, bloody hell. I feel your pain. And commiserate.
Thanks Jennifer. It wasn't the best experience to have, that's for sure. I think the frustration was worse than the injury. And I must admit, I'm a little ticked at the "no win, no fee" law firm for not being up to speed on what is necessary in order to win a claim when it involves a pothole. Maybe now they will know and won't waste their time again. Thanks so much for your comment. I do appreciate hearing from people!
OMG Rose! That’s awful - what an absolute nonsense that you couldn’t claim compensation. Somebody should be accountable and you should receive compensation for your injuries.
I was involved in a minor RTA last November and the hassle involved in filing for a personal injury claim was incredibly stressful. After attending physiotherapy and being in terrible pain for quite a while, the compensation I received was an insult. The whole process wore me down and deeply affected me. I am saddened that a claim culture has resulted in genuine cases like ours being belittled.
I hope you are feeling better but keep fighting - you deserve compensation for those awful injuries you sustained.
Thanks so much for your understanding, Rosy. So sorry that you had to go through something similar. It sounds like your case was much worse. My injury was a bit painful, but mainly a nuisance, as I couldn't pick up a kettle, or wash my own hair for about 2 months, and I had to sleep semi-sitting up. But I was lucky for it not to have been worse. I don't think potholes on city streets should be lumped in with those on roads that damage cars. It must be awful, not to mention expensive, to have your car damaged, but it is metal and can be fixed. A damaged human is in pain, and their injury could affect them for years. How can the two be lumped together? I feel a campaign coming on! Thank you so much for your story and your commiserations.
I hope you completely healed from this (except for the tiresome paperwork). I have had two fairly crazy personal accidents that have left me with chronic pain.
But I do carry a small measuring tape in my purse, so there's that. Good advice!
Thanks so much for the comment Mimi. Yes, about 98% recovered. I don't have the full range of movement in my arm, but it is almost as good as it was. I guess we have to be like Girl Scouts, always prepared! (I think it is in our nature anyway.)
Thank you for the comment Daniel. The pothole was not on a road but on a pedestrianized street in a town centre. We were in a town where I was not familiar with the street, but even if I had been, chances are I would have fallen anyway. The reason I fell was because I did not see it. Big potholes may be worse for car drivers, but as far as I know they will result in injury to the car, rather than the human driving the car. Unless of course, they cause the car to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic. It was a very long learning process, and as I said in my post, I feel the "No win, no fee" firm of lawyers should have known that without the depth of the hole known, they would be wasting their time. Personally, I feel that roads and sidewalks should be dealt with separately, as a sidewalk is used by pedestrians only. Of course, councils will do anything and everything to avoid paying out, but in cases where there is genuine injury, which can be proven, they should have a minimum payment set out by law. Maybe I should lead a campaign on this, what do you think?
OMG - there are so many potholes here in Southern Ontario and they are so huge after the winter that several years ago my brother borrowed my car one day and being on a highway and driving at 80 km he hit one. Damaged my front wheel struts which cost a lot to repair.
We also have so many in and around Toronto, where I lived for 49 years until last year, they have several days every spring and hold pothole blitzes to fill them!!!!!
Thanks so much for your comment Trudy! A pothole blitz? I think here we have pothole "let's ignore it season" which seems to last only 4 seasons a year. At least in Canada you have the weather as an excuse.
I'm shocked. Its disgraceful behaviour by the council/highways.
It's a huge help that you have shared this information but sad you have no compensation for how you suffered.
And I imagine many others have had similar experiences and with same outcome.
I've incurred massive expenses I've paid out for in my car with potholes but I never would have thought to measure their depth or take photo as often its a dark lane!
Like you the awful injury is an indication that its deep.
As with my car.
I'm sorry you were hurt and for the waste of your time given over to claiming.
I hope your arm has healed up well and thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for your comment, Beverley. I can well imagine how angry and frustrated car owners must feel to have their vehicles damaged by a pothole. Interestingly, a road pothole has to be over 4mm deep. It's only us town people who get away with tripping over 20 or 25mm potholes. Actually, I don't think pavements and roads should be lumped together for the purposes of compensation. Truthfully, I'd be interested to hear from ANYBODY who won a compensation claim for injury due to a pothole! My arm healed really well, but it was a real nuisance for a couple of months. I didn't have the strength to even lift a kettle, and had to have someone come and wash my hair for me, as I couldn't lift my arm over my head. I had to sleep semi-seated, and I slept on the sofa for a couple of months as well. I did learn to write with my left hand, so I suppose that was a bonus. I am now ambidextrous. Woohoo! Something I always wanted. (Didn't want it that badly, but still it is kind of nice to have.) Thanks so much for your kind words and sympathy.
I’m so sorry to read this - sorry for you pain wise and even more sorry frustration wise. What a shit show. Bloody, bloody hell. I feel your pain. And commiserate.
Thanks Jennifer. It wasn't the best experience to have, that's for sure. I think the frustration was worse than the injury. And I must admit, I'm a little ticked at the "no win, no fee" law firm for not being up to speed on what is necessary in order to win a claim when it involves a pothole. Maybe now they will know and won't waste their time again. Thanks so much for your comment. I do appreciate hearing from people!
I agree - surely the whole point of the law firm is to know that sort of stuff. I feel frustrated for you.
OMG Rose! That’s awful - what an absolute nonsense that you couldn’t claim compensation. Somebody should be accountable and you should receive compensation for your injuries.
I was involved in a minor RTA last November and the hassle involved in filing for a personal injury claim was incredibly stressful. After attending physiotherapy and being in terrible pain for quite a while, the compensation I received was an insult. The whole process wore me down and deeply affected me. I am saddened that a claim culture has resulted in genuine cases like ours being belittled.
I hope you are feeling better but keep fighting - you deserve compensation for those awful injuries you sustained.
Thanks so much for your understanding, Rosy. So sorry that you had to go through something similar. It sounds like your case was much worse. My injury was a bit painful, but mainly a nuisance, as I couldn't pick up a kettle, or wash my own hair for about 2 months, and I had to sleep semi-sitting up. But I was lucky for it not to have been worse. I don't think potholes on city streets should be lumped in with those on roads that damage cars. It must be awful, not to mention expensive, to have your car damaged, but it is metal and can be fixed. A damaged human is in pain, and their injury could affect them for years. How can the two be lumped together? I feel a campaign coming on! Thank you so much for your story and your commiserations.
I hope you completely healed from this (except for the tiresome paperwork). I have had two fairly crazy personal accidents that have left me with chronic pain.
But I do carry a small measuring tape in my purse, so there's that. Good advice!
Thanks so much for the comment Mimi. Yes, about 98% recovered. I don't have the full range of movement in my arm, but it is almost as good as it was. I guess we have to be like Girl Scouts, always prepared! (I think it is in our nature anyway.)
Thank you for the comment Daniel. The pothole was not on a road but on a pedestrianized street in a town centre. We were in a town where I was not familiar with the street, but even if I had been, chances are I would have fallen anyway. The reason I fell was because I did not see it. Big potholes may be worse for car drivers, but as far as I know they will result in injury to the car, rather than the human driving the car. Unless of course, they cause the car to swerve into the path of oncoming traffic. It was a very long learning process, and as I said in my post, I feel the "No win, no fee" firm of lawyers should have known that without the depth of the hole known, they would be wasting their time. Personally, I feel that roads and sidewalks should be dealt with separately, as a sidewalk is used by pedestrians only. Of course, councils will do anything and everything to avoid paying out, but in cases where there is genuine injury, which can be proven, they should have a minimum payment set out by law. Maybe I should lead a campaign on this, what do you think?
Always protecting themselves? How about that? I think that is the case either side of the Pond.