OPINION ISSUED JULY 29, 1986

NADINE J. MATTHEW
VS.
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS

(CC-85-172)

Claimant's husband, Virgil Matthew, appeared in person.
Nancy J. Aliff, Attorney at Law, for respondent.

PER CURIAM:

This claim was originally styled in the names of Virgil Matthew and
Nadine J. Matthew, but
when the testimony indicated that the vehicle, a 1972 Ford LTD, was
titled solely in the name of
Nadine J. Matthew, the Court, on its own motion, amended the style to
reflect that fact.


The claimant's husband, Virgil Matthew, testified that while operating
his wife's vehicle on
Route 5 at Prenter Hollow, Boone County, West Virginia, the vehicle
struck a pothole. Claimant
was a passenger in the vehicle at the time. The incident occurred on
April 14, 1985, at
approximately 7:00 p.m., or after dark. The claimant's husband was
travelling 29 to 30 miles
per hour and had the vehicle's lights on low beam. As a result of the
incident, a tire and hubcap
were damaged in the amount of $161.13.

Claimant's husband testified that he was familiar with that section of
Route 5 and that he had
observed the pothole previous to the incident. He also testified that he
had notified respondent's
office in Boone County, by telephone, a month prior to this incident. He
could not identify the
person who took his complaint. He complained about the general condition
of Route 5 but not
about this specific pothole. Although the respondent may have had actual
notice of the poor
condition of this road, the claimant's husband was familiar with the
route and should have taken
precautions necessary to avoid striking the hole in the road.

It is the opinion of the Court that . although the respondent may have
been negligent, the
negligence of claimant's husband was equal to or greater than that of
the respondent. The Court
therefore denies the claim.

Claim disallowed.
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