HOUSTON – At KPRC 2, we’re dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston.
Question: David Chinnaswamy said his car got $530 in damage after hitting a pothole on a city of Houston street. He is asking is the City of Houston responsible for that damage?
Answer: The pothole Chinnaswamy is talking about is at the intersection of Chartress and Polk, underneath the highway overpass. KPRC 2 traffic expert Anavid Reyes reached out to the City of Houston and learned they are not liable for pothole damages. The City of Houston encourages drivers to send their requests for pothole repairs by calling 311. The city said they can get the pothole fixed by the next day or even sooner.
Now, what if the pothole is on a highway and not a city street? The answer is still the same. The Texas Department of Transportation is not liable for any repairs. So basically, if you hit a pothole on the North Freeway -- like a bunch of folks did Wednesday morning just north of the North Loop -- and your car gets damaged, there is no guarantee that TxDOT will help fix your car because there are no funds available for these kinds of issues. TxDOT said, they try their best to continuously check their roads, but they rely heavily on the reports that come in from the traveling public.
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