Stoke-on-Trent City Council has received more than 1,500 complaints from residents reporting pothole-related vehicle damage since 2022. 

Data obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK through a Freedom of Information request reveals that the council handled 1,594 pothole claims between 2022 and August 2025. 

The year 2023 saw the highest volume of claims, with 485 logged, and recorded the largest compensation payout of £86,678. 

Over this period, the council paid out a total of £231,723 worth of compensation to successful claimants. 

JF Law solicitor Patrick Mallon said: "Road surfaces across the UK are increasingly struggling to cope with extreme weather and heavy traffic.

"Potholes that seem small can cause significant damage, from punctured tyres and bent wheels to dangerous collisions for cyclists and motorcyclists. 

"It's essential that road defects are repaired quickly to prevent avoidable injuries and expensive repair bills for motorists." 

It was also revealed that as of 15 August 2025 there were 2,100 unfixed potholes under the council authority and the council's spending on reactive maintenance, which is largely pothole repairs but includes other expenses such as footpath and street bollard repair, has decreased from £2,193,000 in 2022/23 to £1,960,000 in 2024/25. 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council reactive mainenance spending (image via PersonalInjuryClaimsUK.org.uk)

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "We assess every pothole compensation claim on its own merits.

"Every claim is thoroughly assessed against inspection records, repair history and our legal duties under the Highways Act, to make sure each claim is valid. Not all claims result in compensation being paid.

"Changes in claim numbers do not necessarily reflect road conditions.

"Weather, reporting levels and national trends all play a part. Long spells of heavy rain or freezing conditions can speed up road damage and greater public awareness can lead to more reports and more claims.

"Each year, we receive Government funding to assist with road maintenance.

"We invest millions of pounds each year in maintaining and improving the more than 600 miles of highway that make up the city's road network.

"We always prioritise safety-critical repairs such as potholes. We have also invested in advanced AI-enabled road condition surveys.

"This technology enhances our ability to identify defects earlier, target maintenance more effectively and take a more proactive approach to managing road conditions across the network.

"In addition to this, we introduced the one-pass approach to all future works, meaning we will carry out as many required jobs in an area, so if we are repairing a pothole, we will look to repair any other defects and clean the gullies – reducing the time a road needs to be closed for.

"We inspect roads regularly using a risk-based approach and fix defects that meet intervention criteria as quickly as possible."

Speaking to Personal Injury Claims UK, Patrick Mallon said: "Local councils are legally responsible for maintaining safe roads under the Highways Act 1980, which means they must inspect and repair road surfaces within a reasonable time frame.  

"When they fail to do so, and that neglect results in vehicle damage or injury, motorists are entitled to seek compensation.  

"Many councils are working with limited resources, leading to delays in identifying and fixing these hazards, and that's contributing to the steady rise in pothole-related incidents we're now seeing nationwide."

Personal Injury Claims UK aims to support to those who may have suffered harm as a result of potholes and help them to see if they have grounds to submit a claim.