Car repair costs should have been reimbursed
As everyone knows, Kauai has many road hazards, which of course include the constant potholes we experience on a day-to-day drive.
Well, my wife is a teacher assistant and, coming home from work, hit one of our popular potholes. The hole is located just down from the fork in the road just past the middle school on Olohena Road. There is a bridge there, across from the solar farm.
It has now been fixed well but for the past few years only cold patch was used and after a rain it would open up. The rains from last April which flooded Hanalei were the culprit that opened it this time.
I called roads division and made a report. Who keeps track of all the reports I do not know, but found out that it will be used against you if you put in a claim. So after putting on new tires and having PS&D align car, had all the receipts and put in a claim with the county.
The county attorney just wrote me back and said since there was no report of that hole, which by the way as I said has been repaired numerous times in the past years, they denied the claim.
I called back and asked if they would please resubmit the claim again and it was denied again. Just to let everyone know now, they did a wonderful job of repair. From one side of the road to the other, which if done years ago I would not be writing this letter.
Well, I think they should keep track of the reported holes of which there are many so when someone does damage their car they will not be turned down and reimbursed for the damage to their vehicle.
I know the roads need much work and we are grateful for the constant repair but feel my wife should have been reimbursed for the damage. They certainly knew of the damage, otherwise why would they have repaired the road in the first place?
I hope this does not happen to anyone else and please be careful out there.
John Cooney, Kapaa
There is always two sides….
Do you really think the County should pay for damage to every car that hits a pot hole on this island? The County General Fund would be run dry. Unless you have a dash cam, is the County supposed to do an investigation on every car that puts in a claim for damage due to pot holes?
“but found out that it will be used against you if you put in a claim”….I’m not even going to address your thought process on that one.
Government Workers have not sense of Urgency, are just putting in their 40 hours a week, and are never held accountable or fired. There are many on this island feel the County should reimburse them for the poor roads. That’ why 7 of 10 vehicles on this island are SUVs/Pickups.
The real Problem is Island Nepotism! The Blind Leading the Blind!
How many damaged cars, broke windshields, broke shocks, broke ball joints, broke door hinges, broke window roll up/down, broke teeth, does it take before the road crews are given priority and funds to at least patch the Pukas…?
Charlie