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West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission

Volume Number: 30
Category(s): STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
Opinion Issued February 5, 2014
LEORA J. VINCENT
VS.
DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS
(12-0591)
     Claimant appeared pro se.
     C. Brian Matko, Attorney at Law, for Respondent.
     PER CURIAM:
     
      Claimant, Leora Vincent, brought this action to recover damages which occurred when her 2005 Pontiac G6 GT struck a large hole along Route 6 near Fairmont, Marion County. Route 6 is a public road maintained by Respondent. The Court is of the opinion to grant an award in this claim for reasons more fully stated below.
      The facts giving rise to this claim occurred on November 17, 2012, at approximately 1:40 p.m. Claimant testified that while traveling from Grafton to Fairmont she approached a section of roadway which contained numerous holes. Claimant stated that she did not notice the hole until she was upon it. Because Claimant did not see the hole, Claimant’s vehicle struck the hole, causing damage to its tires and rims in the amount of $1,206.30. Claimant stated that road conditions on the date of the incident were clear and dry. Claimant carried a $250.00 collision deductible amount on the date of the incident; therefore, Claimant is limited to an award in that amount.
      Respondent argues that it had neither actual nor constructive notice of the road condition giving rise to this claim on the date of the incident; therefore, it cannot be held liable for the damage to Claimant’s vehicle.
      The well-established principle of law in West Virginia is that the State is neither an insurer nor a guarantor of the safety of travelers upon its roads. Adkins v. Sims, 130 W.Va. 645, 46 S.E.2d 81 (1947). Therefore, in order to hold Respondent liable for road defects of this type, Claimant must prove that Respondent had actual or constructive notice of the defect and a reasonable amount of time to take corrective action. Pritt v. Dep’t of Highways, 16 Ct. Cl. 8 (1985); Chapman v. Dep’t of Highways, 16 Ct. Cl. 103 (1986). “Actual notice” is based on direct evidence known by a person or entity while “constructive notice” is defined as "[n]otice arising by presumption of law from the existence of facts and circumstances that a party had a duty to take notice of . . .; notice presumed by law to have been acquired by a person and thus imputed to that person." Mace v. Ford Motor Co., 221 W. Va. 198, 653 S.E.2d 660 (2007) (citing Black’s Law Dictionary at 1090 (8th Ed. 2004)).
      In the instant case, the Court is of the opinion that Respondent had, at the least, constructive notice of risk posed by the condition of Route 6. The volume of testimony, together with photographic evidence leads the Court to conclude that Respondent was negligent. Thus, Claimant may make a recovery for the damage to her vehicle.
      It is the opinion of the Court of Claims that the Claimant should be awarded the sum of $250.00.
      Award of $250.00.
Summary:
     


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