If there’s one thing Los Angeles is known for, it’s the number of cars on the road – or the expansive roadway systems that snake their way around Southern California.
So it’s not surprising to hear that complaints of potholes are on the rise, following days of historic, torrential rains this week that have saturated the ground, setting off mudslides and damaging homes.
The city reported on Wednesday, Feb. 7, that they had received more than 650 reports of potholes so far in this news-making storm.
Potholes are ubiquitous, but now they’re really bad. Sustained rain can result in water collecting underground, causing the soil underneath the road to sag.
That creates depressions in the roadway, which then crumbles under the stress of traffic, a spokesperson for Caltrans said last year.
If the problem is ignored, over time the water can break up the soil underneath the roads, leading to an even worse roadway problem, sinkholes.
So what happens if your car gets damaged after driving over — or into — a pothole?
We break down where you should go to file a claim for damages, depending on whether the road you were on is a city, county or state roadway.
City of Los Angeles
To file a claim with the city, visit the Los Angeles City Clerk’s website at clerk.lacity.gov and click on the “File a Claim” tab at the top of the homepage. That will take you to another page with more information and forms for filing a claim.
You can also call the clerk’s office at 213-978-1133 about submitting a claim.
To request that a pothole be filled, go to the city’s MyLA311 website, at myla311.lacity.org, or their app. From there, you can submit a request for a pothole repair.
Los Angeles County
Go to the county’s public works department’s website at pw.lacounty.gov and click on the “Report a Problem” tab at the top.
From there, you can either submit a request for pothole repair or receive further instructions on filing a claim for damages.
California…
Read the full article here
