Drivers in South Holland and Boston have won almost £30,000 from the county council in the last year for damage to their cars caused by potholes.
Some 357 drivers put in claims in the year to Monday, but the council cannot say how many it settled as part of the £29,358 bill.
It’s not enough for potholes to damage a car, drivers have to jump through legal hoops and prove the highways authority has been negligent.
Assistant director of highways Paul Coathup says there has been a “continuous reduction in the number of claims that Lincolnshire County Council has received in recent years for damage to vehicles caused by potholes”.
But motoring organisation the AA says pothole damage claims to its insurance service have doubled – and a third of its members’ cars have been damaged by potholes in the last two years.
AA president Edmund King said: “This spring our patrols are telling us that potholes are popping up faster than daffodils.”
The AA says there are 30 per cent more potholes now than last year and a survey has shown there is a £2.5billion roads maintenance backlog in England and Wales.
Extra £6.5m for county road repairs
County highways spends more than £50million a year on road repairs and will spend an extra £6.5million over the next two years. It says it is “not usually” liable to pay for damage to vehicles or injuries caused by potholes and it is “not expected to keep roads free of potholes at all times”. Drivers are advised to take greater care after severe weather. The authority relies on the public to help by reporting potholes on 01522 782070 or online at www.lincolnshire.gov/potholes