City seeing decline in pothole lawsuits

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Crews in Indianapolis worked most of Friday patching pesky potholes. There's evidence the problem isn't as bad this year.

The city decided on a 12-hour-long pothole blitz Friday with crews working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"The nice, warmer weather and the availability of the mix gives us the perfect opportunity to really take on these potholes on full assault. So what we're hoping to accomplish is, of course, make the streets better for commuters and for residents," said Molly Deuberry with the DPW.

Timothy Ware with the DPW says the crews are usually dispatched out to the potholes.

"A lot of people call them in. Those are the main ones we have to get, the big ones. So we come out and get those and anyone's we come across while we're out. We go ahead and get those and call them in because it's pretty bad out here," said Ware.

Drivers can actually file a claim with the city if they have damage from potholes, it's called a tort claim. It fact, it's one of the things the city pays out the most for every year.

So far this year, there've been 191 claims made compared to 266 in the same period last year -- a 35 percent drop.

Different winters, different results.

"There's a wide variety of factors that go into that, but we've been out there trying to make a difference, make things a little bit better. So hopefully that's part of the reason the number's down," said Deuberry.

But with plenty of freezing and thawing left as we head into spring, the crews know they'll be springing back into action soon.