Pothole season has begun, but who pays if your car is damaged in Massachusetts?
BOSTON - Wintertime in Massachusetts means snow, salt and rough roads tearing up your tires.
Potholes are par for the course in the Northeast but in Boston, surrounding towns and on state highways, the frustration is growing that the pothole problem is getting worse.
"We live in an area where it freezes and then it thaws. I think we could maybe do a little better job filling them up," driver Margot Plotzke told WBZ-TV.
For 40 years, Plotzke has been behind the wheel in Boston, dodging potholes unsuccessfully.
"Going to be late, my tire's gone. It would be nice to have them figure that out maybe. They went around and filled them with some asphalt," said Plotske.
Millions of dollars are spent on repairing city and state roads but money is also coming out of drivers' pockets, pushing for more pothole prevention.
"It sets you back," said Plotzke.
Let's say you're driving on a city or state road and you hit a pothole. You damage your rims, tires or worse. You may or may not be responsible for that damage.
The city of Boston does allow you to file a claim and may reimburse you up to $5,000 but only if the pothole was reported before the accident occurred. As for the state, they don't cover damage but may reimburse you for injury up to $4,000.
"How much is this bump going to cost me?"
That's a common question for Timothy Smith, the general manager of Pleasant Car Care in Newton.
"The season we see most of those concerns, busted tires, busted rims, would be wintertime. We've had three vehicles here in the past week that have needed tires and wheels," said Smith.
So what can you do to prevent pothole damage? Smith said stay ahead of the problem.
"I'd say maintenance. Have your tires looked at, have your wheels looked at. Staying ahead of it is the best thing you can do. Take it easy, drive slow, be aware of your conditions," said Smith.
"There are times when the hazard requires immediate attention for the safety of travelers, but also instances when temporary measures are put into place until permanent repairs are appropriate," said MassDOT in a statement when asked about pothole repairs.
The city of Boston told WBZ TV they filled 7,000 potholes in 2023.