Pothole claims soar – but for bikers the cost can be life-changing

Pothole compensation claims may be soaring across the UK, but behind the statistics are riders, like Richard Cheshire, who was left paralysed after hitting a pothole and crashing. 

New data, unearthed by the RAC via a Freedom of Information Request (FOI), shows claims submitted to local authorities have risen by 91 per cent since 2021. Yet for motorcyclists, the true cost of potholes often never appears on a balance sheet.

One rider who knows that better than most is Richard Cheshire, who, fifteen years ago, hit a pothole on his motorbike. The resulting crash left him paralysed from the chest down. He was 19 at the time of the crash.

“It has been 15 years, and the roads are a massive embarrassment,” he said to the BBC. “Nothing has changed.”

Richard was riding to work as a lifeguard in October 2010 when he struck a pothole on Netherfield Lane in Meden Vale, Mansfield. Thrown from the bike, he hit a fence and sustained catastrophic spinal injuries. He spent six months in hospital and now uses a wheelchair full-time.

“I went from walking to using a wheelchair,” he said. “I had to relearn how to live life. And at the moment, another injury like mine is just waiting to happen.”

The RAC’s figures show councils paid out around £3.5m in pothole compensation in 2024, settling just 26 per cent of claims. But while a driver might face a £500 repair bill, a biker hitting the same defect risks losing control instantly. Devoid of the structural protection of a car, motorcycle riders are much more vulnerable to the danger of potholes, and the resulting crash can be much more catastrophic.

Richard’s own attempt to claim compensation was unsuccessful. He says the road was resurfaced and the speed limit reduced after his crash, but accountability never followed. “There was no responsibility from anyone at that point,” he said.

Now 34, Richard works in spinal units and is a wheelchair skills co-ordinator for the charity Whizz Kidz. He argues that properly fixing roads is cheaper in the long run than funding lifelong care after preventable injuries.

“The NHS is paying throughout my life,” he said. “I’ve adapted, but I’m ageing differently. It takes a toll on your body and your mind.”

With pothole claims continuing to pile up, riders may reasonably ask how many more warnings the UK’s roads can ignore – and how many more motorcyclists will pay the price before meaningful change arrives.

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