£1.1m payout for driver hurt after hitting pothole
ADRIVER has been awarded more than £1.1m compensation from the Welsh Government after being injured by a pothole in the road, it has been revealed.
The massive £1,188,565.25 was paid out to the injured motorist after a four-year legal battle for a “potholecaused personal injury”.
The payout is believed to be one of the biggest ever in Britain as campaigners warn of the dire state of the country’s roads.
It was made by the Welsh Government which is responsible for maintaining larger trunk roads nationwide across Wales.
The unnamed driver was injured in the pothole accident in 2018-19 – and the compensation was finally paid out four years later.
A Freedom of Information Act request showed dozens of people have put in claims for damaged vehicles or personal injuries over the last five years.
The figures show the Welsh Government settled 11 claims for pothole-related vehicle damage over the past five years and a further two claims to personal injuries.
Over that time, the typical highest payout for vehicle damage claims was £1,077.
Mark Morrell, the UK’s leading pothole campaigner, is urging the public to report potholes in their neighbourhood.
According to Mr Morrell, a retired operations manager who was christened Mr Pothole after launching his campaign 10 years ago, poorly maintained roads are costing the country up to £10bn a year.
He said: “I am sick to death of hearing from government and authorities saying repairing potholes is a priority then do very little to tackle the issue of our failing roads network.
“Filling in potholes is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“Until there is a properly funded roads resurfacing programme put in place things will get worse.”
The RAC warned that this winter’s weather has created “the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads”.
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “The wet weather we’ve had both before and after the coldest start to winter in 12 years in December is the perfect recipe for potholes to start peppering the roads.
“We fear that by the spring, drivers will be plagued by a plethora of potholes across the country’s roads which makes journeys uncomfortable and frustrating or, worse still, could lead to very expensive garage repair bills.
“It’s also important to remember that potholes are so much more than just an annoyance, they are a true road safety danger, especially for those on two wheels as they represent a huge risk to their personal safety.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Welsh Government is responsible for all trunk roads and motorways in Wales. We are unable to comment on individual claims.”