ABA Family Legal Guide

Personal Injury

Negligence

Automobile Collisions

My car sustained damage when it hit a pothole on a city street. Can I recover from the city?

Some cities have pothole ordinances, a form of immunity that releases them from any liability for pothole accidents, except where they had prior notice. Whether you can recover will depend on your city's law controlling liability and its immunities against suits. For instance, some states have governmental tort liability acts, which sharply limit suits against governmental bodies.