OPINION ISSUED JULY 21, 1987

RUTH ANN COOPER
VS.
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS

(CC-87-14)

Claimant appeared in person.
Nancy J. Aliff, Attorney at Law, for respondent.

PER CURIAM:

On December 22, 1986, at approximately 8:00 p.m., claimant was
operating her 1986 Buick
Regal on Route 3, in Boone County. The vehicle was approximately 10
miles from Racine when
it ran through a pothole damaging the rim, hubcap, and tire in the
amount $210.81.

Claimant testified that Route 3 is a two-land, blacktop road. It was
dark and dry at the time of
this incident. She stated that she was operating her headlights. There
is a berm of perhaps one
and one-half feet at the location of this incident. Mrs. Cooper
testified that there was a series of
potholes near the berm on the right side of the road, which claimant
dodged prior to the vehicle
striking the pothole which damaged her automobile. She stated that the
pothole was 15-20
inches wide, 25 inches in length, and 8-9 inches deep. She does not
travel this route frequently
and was unaware of how long this particular hole had been in existence.

This Court has repeatedly held that respondent is neither an insurer
nor a guarantor of the
safety of travellers on its highways. However, the respondent does have
a duty of using
reasonable care and diligence in the maintenance of its highways. In the
case of a heavily
travelled, major highway in this State, the Court has held respondent
liable for failure to repair a
pothole of this size as it cannot have developed overnight. See: Stone
vs. Dept. of Highways,
12 Ct.Cl. 259 (1979) and Bolyard vs. Dept. of Highways, CC-86-195
(OPINION ISSUED
December 12, 1986). The pothole is of such dimensions that the
respondent had constructive
notice. The Court, therefore, makes an award to claimants in the amount
of $210.81.

Award of $210.81.