Need some help please.. hit a pothole, damage?

[MoogieBoogie]

I hit a pothole today on the highway.. it was really really huge, and I'm surprised that I didn't see it.

My tires didn't blow, but one of my rims has a huge gash now. The alignment is off, and I notice that the wheel gap between the tire and fender on the driver side is about 1-1.5 cm less than the wheel gap on the passenger side.

I remember someone saying that an impact with the tires would cause the lower control arms or something to go. Does that apply to RWD vehicles too? Would this be an expensive repair job? Do you think the axle is bent?

After this, I drove it home about 20 miles.

I'm really upset and need some help here. Please respond.

-Brian.

[autxr]

Lots of things could be bent.

Do you have comprehensive insurance?

If so, call the insurance company.

Many cities/counties/states have special funds to pay for pothole damage. Go back, note an exact location of the hole and take pictures.

The car certainly needs to go to the shop though.

Scott

[DaileyDog]

Good luck with the insurance company. I just went through this very same thing last month and my insurance company ended up not paying a dime. Even though the pot hole I hit was man made.

Somebody was working on an apartment building and needed to get into the sewer system. So, they cut a big hole in the road, got in and left it without any markers; no cones, no tape, no horses, nothing. I hit the hole, bent the crap out of one rim and blew that tire. And needed an alignment, of course. Luckily, nothing else was damaged.

When I called to make a claim (figuring the hole wasn't my responsibility or an "act of God"), they said they would pursue recovering any money spent to repair my car. THEN, when I talked to my local agent, he said they wouldn't even try because getting money from Chicago (where the accident occurred) or the construction company is damn near impossible "from their experience." And, since the cost to fix my car wasn't more than my deductible, my insurance didn't pay anything. Even when I told them I'd cancel my coverage (for 2 cars and a house), they still wouldn't try. So, I paid and canceled.

I don't know where you live in N.J. but, for your sake, I hope it's not in a larger metropolitan area. I think you'll have a better chance in a smaller place. I wish you better luck than I had.

Mike

[MoogieBoogie]

Thanks..

I think my damage is a lot worse.. probably looking into the 3-4 thousand range possibly. So I guess insurance will definitely be worth filing.

I'm going to take it to the shop on Tuesday or so when all the snow is gone and have it checked out.

Thanks for the replies guys.
-Brian.

[TheXerox]

NJ roads suck.

[R K e 1 C A]

Saw this on the news or somewhere a while ago. They were talking about a road in Washington D.C. It was a major traffic area and there was a pothole that was so big one day some guy just got sick of it and was able to put a twin size mattress over it.