Long after the snow melts off New York City streets, the potholes are causing damages to cars and injuring people walking to and from work or enjoying a leisurely stroll. The city attempted to save $1 million over the winter months, extending response times from an average of 4 days to fix potholes to 5.8 days. As the city attempted to save money during the winter months, it ended up having to dump $2 million back into the road repair budget after the snowstorms to hire emergency crews to help get the roads back in shape. Potholes are not only damaging vehicles, but pedestrians are being injured and the potholes are causing accidents.
How Potholes are Created
Roads and sidewalks have cracks in them that fill with water when it rains or snows. In the winter, when the water freezes, the cracks grow in size due to the expanding and melting of the water as it freezes. The cracks become potholes that can cause slip and fall accidents, serious injuries, and car accidents.
Who Pays for Medical Expenses and Lost Wages Due to Potholes?
The New York “pothole law” makes it difficult to receive compensation from the city if you are injured as a result of potholes. If you are injured while you’re working, however, it’s possible pothole injuries and accidents may fall under workers compensation eligibility. Our workers compensation lawyers can help you determine if your pothole related injuries are covered by this benefit.
