First of all, whenever you see a pothole on a NYC street or highway, always report it by calling 311 or using 311 web portal or mobile app and you will see why it’s important. If you choose to report online, visit here to report pothole(s) in a NYC street and visit here to report pothole(s) in a NYC highway. Let’s see why it’s important to report it to 311. According to city 311 portal, all claims must be filed within 90 days of the incident. Also, city is going to reimburse you if city received a complaint about the pothole at least 15 days before the incident and failed to repair it before the incident. See why reporting a pothole is pretty important? By reporting it, you might doing someone a favor or someone might doing you a favor. So, always report it to 311.
Let’s see what you need to do if you get injured or your vehicle gets damaged because of a pothole. Although city might not reimburse you if city never received a complaint at least 15 days before the incident, it’s always good to file a claim because you never know if someone already reported to fix the pothole and city failed to repair it before the incident.
Now, if your vehicle gets damaged or you get injured because of a pothole in NYC, you can file a claim in person, mail, or online against city with the City Comptroller. Visit here to file an e-claim or learn more about filing a claim with the City Comptroller. However, you cannot file a claim by telephone.
When you get injured or your vehicle gets damaged because of a pothole, move your vehicle in a safe place off of the road. Take pictures of the pothole and surrounding areas. Write down the address where the pothole is. If it’s in front of a building, write down the building address. If it’s in front of a store or business, write down the store or business address. If it’s on a highway, write down the milepost numbers or the number on a lamppost or exit numbers if it’s between two exits. Take clear pictures of damaged areas of the vehicle. Write down the date and time of the incident, information of witnesses, if any. Take your vehicle to a mechanic or body shop and get written estimates to fix the vehicle. If you fixed it already, then keep the receipts or invoices. Once you have all these information, you can file a claim with the City Comptroller.
Be mindful that, once you file the claim, City Comptroller’s Office will investigate the incident and make a decision. Also, it may take a long time for City Comptroller’s Office to make a decision; however, the most important thing is to file the claim. For additional information, visit the City Comptroller’s Office website.
If your vehicle gets disabled because of the pothole on a NYC highway, call 911 so your vehicle can be removed from the highway by the authorized tow. If your vehicle gets disabled on a NYC street other than the highway, you can call 911 for tow or you can call your own tow. If you had to pay for towing your vehicle, keep all the receipts which you can submit with your claim with the City.
Fun fact: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani filled 200,000th pothole in 9 months since he took office. So, keep reporting it through 311!