'I waited more than a year for pothole compensation'

A man who fought for more than a year for compensation after his recently purchased Porsche hit a pothole has said "I'll never not claim".

After his Porsche Boxster was damaged on 9 March 2024, Aston Grisdale put a claim in for £1,231.58 with Derbyshire County Council.

Armed with a stack of pictures, evidence, receipts and after months of waiting, the 23-year-old received £452.12 - about a third of what he initially claimed for.

A spokesperson for the county council said it had received a high volume of claims due to bad weather in the first few months of 2024, adding Aston's claim was settled within 90 days once all information was received.

From close-up photos of the ripped tyre to garage invoices - Aston said he had a stack of evidence to support his claim.

He also included a photo of his vehicle - which he bought himself in October 2023 as a birthday present - on the loader when it was recovered from the A6187 Hope Road.

After trying to file a claim via the council website and failing, he turned to emailing instead.

When he eventually got round to following up 11 months later, to his surprise, they "started replying more quickly".

The council then asked him for pictures of the damage.

But Aston said a string of photos - showing the damaged tyre as well as the pothole against a tape measure alongside the repair receipts - had already been attached to the original email, sent the year before.

He said the "sizeable pothole" measured 27in (68cm) wide, 49in (124cm) long, and three and a half inches (8cm) deep.

"I turned a corner, and as soon as I turned around, a big pothole was there," Aston added.

"It's the size of a small person. Luckily enough there was a restaurant across the road which I was able to park in and wait for the recovery to turn up.

"Middle of nowhere, one-bar phone signal, and it was March, it wasn't the warmest."

However, one thing almost caught him off-guard in the process.

"Because the incident happened so long ago, I actually changed the car," he said.

His registration number had since been attached to his new car, a BMW.

He said the council asked about that, as the car details he provided did not match those of the damaged vehicle.

"Luckily enough, I keep everything," Aston added.

He said he sent the council further evidence of the change of vehicle ownership, and advised others to be thorough when putting a claim in.

Eventually he received his payout on 3 July 2025.

"Document everything," he said. "Pictures, times, dates, locations. They need to have everything documented."

You can see how pothole claims in your area compare to the rest of Britain below.

Aston's pothole claim comes as a BBC investigation this week revealed only one in four drivers across Britain got compensation for pothole-inflicted damage to their vehicles in the last five years.

However, across Derbyshire, 64% of those claims were successful - well above the national average.

Over the last five years, the county council has spent £953,983 paying out 3,529 claims for vehicle damage caused by potholes.

The state of the roads in Derbyshire, once labelled the "pothole capital of England", was brought back into the spotlight earlier this year.

The county, along with a dozen other local authorities, received a "red" rating based on the condition of its roads, according to recent government figures.

In the past, Derbyshire leaders have also disputed the claim the county is England's "pothole capital", given it generally uses different methodology to other councils to count potholes, which skews results in comparison to others.

Now at the start of a second claiming journey, Aston understands time is of the essence.

He said he was on his way to the gym on the evening of 13 January this year, when two new tyres on his BMW burst after he hit a pothole in Buxton.

"I reported the pothole which is what you're supposed to do," he added. "Luckily enough a friend was living close by who had a tape measure.

"It was freezing cold, I was on my way to the gym, I was only wearing shorts. I didn't expect to spend so much time outside."

In this case speed proved critical, as Aston went back to the site the next morning to discover the pothole was being filled in.

"You've got to do stuff straight away to have a chance at a successful claim," he added.

Whatever the setbacks are, Aston knows one thing for certain.

"I'll never not claim," he added.

Holding the pile of paperwork he collected throughout his first claim, he said: "Obviously the process was long, and although it took over a year to get it back, I still got something back, which is the main thing.

"If it was my mum or my gran who hit the pothole, they would have no clue what to do.

"I'm a busy person, but I am also a very petty person.

"If something needs to be done, I'll do it. I feel like there's maybe only five to 10% of people, if that even, who hit a pothole, have damage and actually go through with all the methods of claiming."

Councillor Charlotte Hill, the council's cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport, said: "We received a high volume of claims during the first few months of 2024 following winter where periods of wet and cold weather can take its toll on our roads. This did result in a backlog of claims for which we apologise.

"Our records show that Mr Grisdale's claim was settled within the 90-day timeframe once all supporting information was received. Claims for compensation are assessed on a case‑by‑case basis and where items are not brand new, any settlement will reflect an appropriate deduction for wear and tear, in line with the established principles of indemnity."

She has also advised people to check Derbyshire County Council's page before they submit a claim.

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.