Potholes on roads and how to claim damages?!

Potholes are unfortunately a relatively common occurrence on roads in Serbia, and the causes are quite diverse - from snow, ice, and salt during the winter period, to floods and overflowing streams on roads during spring and summer, to road congestion during peak or tourist seasons, to simply inadequate maintenance.

When potholes are not clearly marked, they can be very "tricky," hidden by puddles or almost invisible at certain angles, which can unpleasantly surprise you, usually when it's already too late to avoid them.

Every driver has had at least one close encounter with a "crater" on the road, and if they drove properly, were lucky and composed, they only escaped with an unpleasant surprise and a slight "kidney shift."

However, potholes on the road can cause serious mechanical damage to vehicles, primarily to tires, rims, and suspensions, which can result in significant financial loss. If this happens, you should know that most insurance companies do not cover this type of damage. But you don't have to pay for the damage yourself; there is a procedure for compensation from the municipal company responsible for maintaining the specific road. Of course, provided that it is determined that it is indeed a pothole and not you or your driving style that is responsible for the damage.

The procedure consists of the following steps:

• After encountering a pothole on the road and if there is visible damage to any part of your vehicle, you should first contact the traffic police, who will make an official report with an inspection and photo documentation. The official report in written form can usually be obtained at the police station after 10 working days. If the traffic police cannot come to the scene within a reasonable period, you need to secure two witnesses and detailed photo documentation of the vehicle damage and the pothole on your own (you can use a mobile phone).
• With the official report, you need to request an assessment of the damage from your insurance company (the one insuring your car). The assessment of the damage is usually subject to a fee unless you are insured with AMSS.
• With the official report and the damage assessment, you should contact the municipal company responsible for maintaining the road section where the pothole occurred, with a claim for compensation.

The bad news in all of this is that the process of compensation can unfortunately take months, especially if the responsible company rejects your claim for any reason, and in that case, you may have to pursue justice through legal means.

Therefore, as a precaution, we advise you to drive carefully, adjust your speed to the current road conditions, and avoid puddles.

In order to prevent such unpleasant situations, "Beokom Servis" invites citizens to report all potholes on the Facebook page "Be okom", on the Twitter account @report_problem, on the mobile applications "Beokom Servis" and "Beograđani," as well as on the well-known phone number for "Beokom Servis" 0800-110-011.