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Drivers file claims with VDOT for damage from Friday’s potholes

Posted at 9:04 PM, Feb 11, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-11 22:18:44-05

Friday afternoon, cars lined the side of I-264, unable to go anywhere after hitting huge potholes in the road.

Lynn Cooper's car was one of them.

"The wheels actually split, both wheels split, so it forced me to go to the side of the road.  Another car behind me hit the same pothole and he was forced to go, but he only had one tire blow out," said Cooper.

Contractor responsible for I-264 pothole repair donated heavily to public officials
Who will hold VDOT accountable for I-264 potholes?

It happened around three o'clock between Campostella and Ballentine.

The cost to repair the damage could be in the hundreds, so she's hoping VDOT will cover it.

Any driver whose car is damaged by potholes on the interstate has a legal right to file a claim.

Cooper says she called Friday and is waiting to hear back.  It's unclear how long she might have to wait.

According to a VDOT spokesperson, there are no time limits or guidelines for how quickly they respond to a claim.

There will be a difference, though, in how claims from Friday are handled.

VDOT says normally damage claims are handled by TME Enterprises, the private contractor responsible for road maintenance, but because Friday's situation was declared an emergency, VDOT is taking care of the claims themselves.

That does not mean that every driver will be reimbursed.  VDOT says they handle claims on a case-by-case basis.

Some of the factors they consider when reviewing claims are if they were previously notified of the issue and if crews had a reasonable amount of time to repair the pothole.