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BOSTON - JULY 11: Traffic exits from a section of the highway known as the "Big Dig" heading south along Interstate 93 July 11, 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts. A 10X30 foot concrete slab fell from the ceiling of a Mass Pike connector last night, crushing a woman to death in her car and barely sparing her husband. The "Big Dig" has been plagued by problems since the project began. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

I Won, Pot Holes Lose

Jaybeau Jones March 29th, 2018

In late January, driving the speed limit, I hit a HUGE pot hole in the right hand lane of the Pike.

It was a rainy cold Monday. I noticed the pot hole ahead, but with the busy traffic and rain, there was no way I could avoid hitting it. It was unavoidable. What’s worse, there was a sharp ROCK wedged in the hole pointing UP.  At 65 miles per hour, even driving an SUV (with a higher frame) the car went over the rock. The rock acting like a ninja’s sword, sliced the undercarriage of my two year old SUV, cutting wires, scraping the tail pipe and shutting down engine, at 65 miles per hour. Well I pulled over to the emergency lane on the Pike, on a rainy Monday. The car would not start. My smart phone down to 65% juice.

Of course, what is now running through my mind?

  1. This is dangerous
  2. It’s cold and raining
  3. If I stay in car to power smart phone, I could end up on CHANNEL 5 to become the latest tragic video.  “Get OUT of car Jaybeau!”
  4. Call AAA
  5. Call my boss to sadly say that I won’t be on the air today.

Well gladly, after forty five minutes standing outside on the side of the Pike, the tow truck came.

Flash forward one month. After $4000 of repairs, paid by insurance (minus my $500 deductible) I get my car back. The nightmare has ended, so I thought.

This past Monday I get a note in the mail from the Division of Insurance with a SURCHARGE claiming hitting the pothole was MY FAULT. The insurance company categorized the pothole I hit as a “stationary object” as if it was a bridge. If I swerved to avoid the pothole it could have been MUCH worse endangering others or myself.

Calling the claims adjuster FIVE times leaving messages, I fought the surcharge saying that I will change insurance companies if this is not reversed. Well the company (who in the past has done a great job with claims) called me back and re-categorized the pot hole-from hell to a “road hazard.” NO surcharge.

This proves that you can fight city hall, if your WIFE does the fighting.

 

 

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