Its something that all states suffer with on a constant basis- potholes. What recourse is there for you if you hit one and it damages your vehicle? What are the implications of hitting potholes? While motorists in the North may be a bit more familiar with large, axle-busting potholes, they can occur virtually anywhere.

To some folks, potholes represent how big of a gap there is in local budgets. Road repair and construction is often one of the first things to be cut when budgets must be adjusted. To other folks its just another annoyance on the way to work, trying to avoid the seemingly infinite holes in the road. Some areas are so short on cash that motorists can fill holes with a licensed contractor themselves! I don't know who'd want to chalk up the money for it, but have at it!

So besides the loud "thunk" when you hit a pothole, what else is at stake? First and foremost- your entire vehicle suspension. Submitting your car to such torture is asking for problems, and many times, you'll get those problems. Wheels can bend and go out of balance, tires can blow resulting in a safety issue and a huge headache, but sometimes potholes can cause damage to other vital engine parts. If you hit a pothole that makes you say "ouch", perhaps its a good idea to look things over next time you get out.

In a testament to damages that potholes can cause, just think back to February in Florida, In what must now be the world's most known pothole. Cars flying around Daytona International Speedway caused a pothole late in the first NASCAR race of the year, damaging cars and sending them off the track. Even Florida suffers with potholes- not necessarily because of the climate, but the rain.

When I was in Detroit a few years ago on a major state interstate, I had the unfortunate luck of hitting a monster hole between two lanes. One lane had the hole over-patched so it was higher than the road around it while the other lane had a pothole several inches deep. With cars around me, I had no choice but to hit it along with a few cars behind me and we all pulled off immediately. I suffered a crack in my radiator with coolant dripping out. The car behind me suffered a huge blow- a cracked engine and transmission mount. So beyond the obvious- avoiding potholes, what can you do if you sustain damage?

The first step would be to get in touch with your insurance company. Many times hitting a pothole will fall under a comprehensive policy and you pay a deductible and the insurance company takes care of the rest. If you don't have such a policy or your insurance refuses, are there any other steps? Sometimes. Some states offer reimbursement only if you can prove they knew about the pothole in advance and if they did not fix it in a specified amount of time. Your state laws may differ greatly, so check with your state DOT (Department of Transportation) on what is covered and the requirements. Otherwise, sometimes a brief letter to a legislature may work as well.

With state budgets dropping, more potholes may go unfilled. Is there a huge pothole in your area? Respond in the comments and let readers know where!