Making a claim against CalTrans because of pothole?

[ctwo]

This plays into the Oroville Dam thread. Plain and simple, this state would rather not fix the stuff it has, but create new projects and programs and spend the money there.

The roads in the North Bay have been shitty for years. They'd roll out and drop a pile of asphalt in the holes and call it good. This morning I went past a trench in the pavement that was 6 to 8 inches wide, 4 or 5 inches deep and probably 10 feet long. They're out there putting more asphalt in it right now. Tomorrow, when it rains, all that asphalt will be out on the road chipping everyone's windshields while the trench returns.

What they need to do is pave the roads with the money set aside for the high-speed train and fix the dams with the money set aside for the delta tunnels. New, more expensive to maintain infrastructure while the old stuff crumbles away is a bad idea.

Hands off Jerry's train set.

Yeah, I've seen caltrans shoveling asphalt into potholes from the shoulder, just tossing it in between cars as they pass by on 101... Very efficient

 

[tzrider]

Worker for claims department said I basically will have to take them to court or they will just deny it regardless. Lame.

I think that may be true more often than not.

I reported a pothole a few weeks ago that would be big enough to swallow a moto front wheel. The form got processed and I received a couple of notifications as the ticket was processed, the last one saying, "Your concern as submitted in the Maintenance Service Request has been addressed, and your ticket has been closed." Nice!

The next time I drove by the location the pothole was still there.

Of course, just because I report it doesn't mean they have to fix it. And it also doesn't mean they would deny a subsequent claim. On the other hand, if you put your wheel into that hole, how would you know whether the thing had ever been reported? I know a number of people who have filed claims. I don't know anyone who was reimbursed, but I hear it can happen.

 

[moto-rama]

There was a rather deep pothole that I hit this evening on the Golf Links Rd exit on westbound 580 tonight. All of the asphalt at the start of that offramp is chewed up in general so I didn't see the pothole until it was too late. There is a SIGNIFICANT bend in my front wheel from hitting that pothole with one (right side) being significantly more bent than the other (left) side.

Can I make a claim against CalTrans for my wheel? The front wheel is totally junked and going to need to be replaced. I might try taking it over to wheel works in Hayward tomorrow after work and see if he can do anything about it.

Yes, as mentioned. There are many out there that are a menace right now. In the dark, they can sneak up on you and bam, you are either damaged, or down, or both.

Make the claim as soon as possible, with a PHOTO before they fill it up! Then when the deny the claim, SUE THEM, in small claims court.

 

[MoldTheClay]

Yes, as mentioned. There are many out there that are a menace right now. In the dark, they can sneak up on you and bam, you are either damaged, or down, or both.

Make the claim as soon as possible, with a PHOTO before they fill it up! Then when the deny the claim, SUE THEM, in small claims court.

Hurm, good plan. I am taking a photo on my way home from work today. Yesterday the offramp was too clogged with people to even try.

 

[cg_ops]

Side note - how do they expect a driver to legally photograph a freeway pothole?

No access from a pedestrian standpoint
Not possible/legal to take from driver's seat
As a passenger you're still going to have to take it from a vehicle traveling at 50mph+ and a steep angle

 

[TheRiddler]

Side note - how do they expect a driver to legally photograph a freeway pothole?

No access from a pedestrian standpoint
Not possible/legal to take from driver's seat
As a passenger you're still going to have to take it from a vehicle traveling at 50mph+ and a steep angle

Camera at 60 or 120FPS. Capture a frame from the video.

 

[Sticka]

Wait, seriously? That offramp has been shit for a good long while and it's an existing hole that just seems to have gotten much deeper today. I'm sure somebody has made a claim on that shitty ramp by now.

So you already knew that it was there, you hit it, and now that is Caltrans' fault?

 

[MoldTheClay]

So you already knew that it was there, you hit it, and now that is Caltrans' fault?

Kind of a series of cracks along the offramp with a few chunks of missing pavement where the offramp joins the freeway. One of the holes got A LOT deeper in recent days. I avoid it normally but after midnight it wasn't very visible and much much deeper/larger than before.

Personal attitude for most things is that it's "my fault as a rider" since I should be aware of everything ahead of me for my own sake. Still, our roads in the bay have been deteriorating rapidly for years and repairs seem few and far between. Had our roads seen proper maintenance, that pothole wouldn't have had time to get that goddamn big.

 

[Adam_ZX6R]

You have to prove the pot hole has been there longer than 30 days.

 

[MoldTheClay]

You have to prove the pot hole has been there longer than 30 days.

Which pretty much boils down to hoping somebody else has already reported it. Here is hoping.

 

[louemc]

There was a rather deep pothole that I hit this evening on the Golf Links Rd exit on westbound 580 tonight. All of the asphalt at the start of that offramp is chewed up in general so I didn't see the pothole until it was too late. There is a SIGNIFICANT bend in my front wheel from hitting that pothole with one (right side) being significantly more bent than the other (left) side.

Can I make a claim against CalTrans for my wheel? The front wheel is totally junked and going to need to be replaced. I might try taking it over to wheel works in Hayward tomorrow after work and see if he can do anything about it.

YOU didn't SEE the pot hole.... Fat chance Cal Trans will pay ..

There is a sea of pot holes, up here. They can break tire cords...

Cal Trans has a better place to put our money.... In Their Pockets and Homes And Vacation Acounts..

Drivers have a responsibility.. Dodge them, slow down, Whatever.

 

[NeilInPacifica]

I was out today...potholes are everywhere, when you least expect them. Big, deep, wide, shallow, narrow and deep, you name it they are there. Leave lots of room between you and car in front, more likely to see them in time to avoid them.

 

[nakedape]

I was really surprised how quickly they fixed the gaping chasms that developed here after the storms. It should go without saying that people in SoCal are unnaturally attached to their cars. I don't ride at night, so less likely to get caught out. But swerving around around them during the day is normal.

Pick your feet up and gas it.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...g-Residents-to-Report-Potholes-410179725.html