Bad Saturday Night

Go out and get as many pictures as you can before they fix it!

In my dealings with the city council, they'll drag their feet and never admit guilt. To me, it's just a couple of months wasted in getting your money back our your car fixed.

Do the leg work, get the estimates right away. Don't procrastinate on this thing. Even if you fix it yourself, they owe you the money it would take a pro to fix. The city is insured, that's what it's for.

You get a lawyer involved and they will start to take notice right away. Otherwise, they're just going to jack you around and hope that you get frustrated.

 

I'm glad that you guys weren't hurt to badly. Reguardless of weather you can collect for damages or not I'd say it makes a good case for three point seat belts. I went to a a lot of trouble to install them in my F1 just to help cover for other people leaving things in the road or thinking they need to crash into me.

 

I currently work for DOT here in P.A. and I know it's hard to get them to pay up for anything............that really sucks hope you make out better than you would here.

 

Hope your dad's skull is ok, and you are well too! Sucks about the car, as a former Hoosier I know how your roads and their constant changing conditions.We all do battle with the roads we ride on, but be thankful we have the roads we have! Ever drive through Mexico, Canada, the UK, any other country? We have the best of many things in this country and on a whole our roads are some of the best. When I moved to Brooklyn I had to level out my "tail dragger" (well almost) because of the constant pot holes and road construction. Do what you need to do, but be thankful for the roads we all get to drive on everyday.

 

An employee of mine hit one similarly about 12 years ago. He was in a lowered ranger truck. City paid for everything because those are not supposed to stick up from the ground AT ALL!! There is a specific written mandate for road construction that will spell out the installation of manhole covers and inspection covers that all DOT constuction is supposed to follow. Find that document and then document through photos and measurements (and photos of measurements) how far out of compliance with the city/state/county codes that one is and your case is won.

 

Sounds like you will get compensated for the damage if you play the cards right. That is dangerously high to be sticking up in the middle of the road.

Your car was inspected and documented safe by the state. Your car was turning and or braking (which lowers ride hight). It's also parked on scene shown with a broken spring (also lowers the ride hight) so getting some money to fix to ride and a doctor bill paid doesn't seem like a frivilous lawsuit to me. If an insurance co. paid you in this situation, they would go and tell the City/Street dept. the same thing and get their dough back. Good luck

P.S. I got staples in my mellon once and made the mistake of standing out in the sun. On a hot day!!! Buy a cool looking ball cap or something for your 'ol man and cover the metal staples with it!

 

Good luck with that... An old co worker of mine cracked a rim on a pothole at the entrance of a freeway... He filed a complaint, but they never got back to him... This was over 3 years ago. He kept calling and they kept giving him the runaround... He just gave up.

 

We have no Indiana State Safety Inspection that documents a car is safe.
We don't what one either.
The police 'inspection' referenced was merely to insure the car qualified for "historical plates" in Indiana.

 

The city workers were doing some repairs around a man hole cover here and left the lid half way on. My sister in law hit the cover and it blew out her tire. She called the city and they told her to go have a tire put on and bring them the receipt. That's all it took for her.

 

Exactly what I was thinking! A new Vette sits pretty dam low, put a couple of fat asses in there and your not far from the pavement. Older cars with the original coil springs up front are going to be affected more by passengers and bottom out due to the age and spring rates. Maybe if one of their "own" employees ran over it in their brand new carbon fiber Vette while talking on his or her cell phone, they would be after the contractor in a heart beat! They were probably in a hurry to go home on a friday night and didnt feel like taking the extra time to mark it. I would fight this case till untill something was justified!

 

+2 on that as well!

 

I agree... there is no reason not to have three point seat belts.... I have them in my hotrods .....

 

Kinda like what somebody above mentioned, but I'd start with a 10 foot level held accross the top of the cover, crossways with the direction you were traveling.
Then measure from the level on each side to the road surface where your tires were actually travelling. This will give you a much better idea of the actual height that the cover protrudes up.

 

Allright guys. I went out and got some pics this afternoon. This manhole cover is a bigger problem than I had even imagined. The first pics shows that the manhole cover is about 5 1/2" inches high. The second pic shows the drop in the pavement and the incline leading up to the manhole which intensifies the effect of it being that tall. The third pic shows my wifes honda civic parked over the manhole cover. It is less than 1" from the undercarriage. The more I look into this the more mad that it makes me. This cover is extremely high. If a corvette drove over it, it wouldnt even make it past the bumper. I am kinda overwhelmed. I need to see who to call first.
Jared

 

make sure when you have these photos that you also take some far away as to so this is that manhole...also witnesses,DO NOT talk to the city until you have a lawyer or the city will turn it on you and twist the facts

 

Hey Jared;
worked in road construction all my life and from the photos looks like job
was done by amatures or inspector got paid off.
Think you probably have a case. Do not use the second picture in post #74
as you are raising the board above level by steping on it!
Good Luck,
Bill.

 

I'm not one to scream "Lawyer!" but you are expected to have reasonably safe roads provided by the city/county. Any prudent observer would see they failed here.

 

Yeah, retake that level board pic, with a carpenter's level on it and make sure its usable to prove fact.

 

Hope you guys heal up alright..
driving a lowered car has its draw backs, and you have to keep an eye out for shit in the road..But if that dam thing is 6" above level ground than Im thinking the next poor bastard in a Vette or Miata might have issues with it also.

Document it..push the issue..dont take no bullshit..and if the city comes back at you saying its your fault for driving a lowered car..maybe they will need to be reminded that some of the best tax payers they have drive sports cars and other cars with low ride heights, not to mention you have documentation that they approved your car for their roads..
there should have been a cone or a construction saw horse on top of that obstruction in the road..

im almost betting you will not be the last guy to hit that..
see how fast after you hit it , that they get out there to fix it..they will attempt to cover up their fuck up.
so you need to get more pictures than you have..go get one of your frinds with a Vette or Miata to roll up onto that thisn (slowly) and take some pictures of their ground clearence..just a thought...more ammunition for your fight..

good luck

 

Jared;
forgot to mention, use a long board (10ft) and center it on manhole then turn
it from side to side with the road. That will create a better photo.
Also the photo with the civic is a good one.
Bill.

 

+1. Your case is looking good. Build it up with numbers, photos and evidence. Get an estimate from several shops for your car.

 

Hey Jared real sorry to hear what happen to you and your Dad. I hope you both mend OK. My daughter got rear ended by a city employee in a city car a couple years ago - so it was pretty cut & dry, but it still took about 3 months and a ton of paper work to fill out to get money - and a co worker tore up a tire and wheel from a chuck hole in Marion Co. several years ago - same thing 3 months and ton of paper work and many many phone calls - good luck!

PS I'm still thinking about your car!!

 

if you read back in the posts for everyone complaining about the height, the car was inspected and passed the state patrol for proper ride height, something that was left sticking out of the ground that far should have been marked somehow,period. I measured both my street cars and that would have ripped off the oil pan, both are stock height. there is going to be a minimum height these road hazards have to be below, if the car meets the states height requirements, the the city is at fault.

 

Not sure if that's accurate according to MDM:

"We have no Indiana State Safety Inspection that documents a car is safe.
We don't what one either.
The police 'inspection' referenced was merely to insure the car qualified for "historical plates" in Indiana."

Sounds like they only verified the car was old enough for historic plates....

 

that thing sticking that far up would have ripped the bottom out of a lot of newer stock height cars. it looks like they dug around it and left it sticking up. that would be like them having left a steel plate off of a hole in the ground and then tried to say it was your fault because of your brakes.

 

I hate to burden anyone but if any of you have a vehicle with stock suspension that you feel might hit a 5 1/2" tall manhole cover could you please take a picture with a form of measurement in the picture that displays the ride height and send it to old_skool_1962@yahoo.com. Any help you might be able to lend will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
Jared

 

I just PM'd you with info from the Mayors office. That should help at least get the ball rolling...

 

In San Diego, my girlfriend hit a, similar, but smaller, manhole. Blew the sidewall and bent a rim. Filed a claim with the city. They paid for repairs upon reciept of repairs. She'd taken all kinds of pics, prepared for the worst. ALL of them were of no use. Paid up, fair and square , no questions asked.

 

As of right now, I don't think anyone has verified the actual height of the manhole cover. Additionally, we don't know if the car meets the states height requirements.

 

Just my opinion, but if the car has full coverage, turn a claim over to YOUR insurance and let THEM fight it out with the city...

That is part of what you are paying for in premiums...