COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Records show Colorado pays out few claims for damages caused by potholes.
This is because the state has to prove it’s liable for the damage by not fixing a pothole in a “reasonable” amount of time.
Data requested by News5 shows more than 1,300 claims have been filed since 2022, but the state has only paid out five of those claims in that time. The total cost paid out is $11,035.99.
“The statute has a standard of reasonableness,” Doug Platt with the State Office of Risk Management said. “In a state as diverse as Colorado with his diverse terrain and highway system, that could be any number of conditions.”
This means the state has to show it knew about a pothole and didn’t respond in a reasonable time to fix it when someone’s vehicle was damaged.
Jeremy Loew was driving on Highway 115 near Lake Avenue …