New Jersey Likely Won’t Pay For Your Car’s Pothole Damage

Is there anything worse than driving along and hitting a terrible pothole? Your car feels like it's trying to make it through an earthquake, all the while, you're just hoping the front of your vehicle hasn't sustained any damage.

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It's one of the most annoying aspects about driving in the Garden State. Potholes are inevitable here in New Jersey. Even worse, they're not always easy to avoid.

Potholes on New Jersey roads

A recent survey has New Jersey ranked among the worst ten states in America for potholes. We sustain a lot of damage here in the Garden State. That means we're putting out even more for repairs. AAA says that an NJ driver will shell out, on average, around $600 to repair the damage inflicted on his or her vehicle due to running over a pothole.

Unfortunately, there's not much residents can do about it when it comes to the bill.

Pothole damage reimbursement in New Jersey

In order to even try and get reimbursed for damage to your car from running over a pothole, you have to file a claim within 90 days of the incident. You do that on New Jersey's official treasury website HERE. You also have to report where exactly the pothole is located.

According to NJ.com, only 13 claims were actually paid out from 2019 to 2023. Over 2000 claims wound up getting closed with no money distributed. So, if you're hoping to get paid out by the government here in the Garden State, you can certainly try. Most would warn you not to get your hopes up, though.

You're better off calling the insurance company, to be honest.

If you drive a lot in NJ, please DON'T do this: