OPINION ISSUED DECEMBER 12, 1986

CHESTER LEWIS
VS.
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS

(CC-86-81)


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

PER CURIAM:

On February 19, 1986, between approximately 7:30 and 8:00 p.m.,
claimant's wife, Margaret
Lewis, was operating claimant's company car, a 1985 Celebrity, when the
vehicle struck a
pothole. Claimant has an agreement with his employer, Turnpike
Chevrolet, that he is
responsible for damage to the company vehicle up to $500.00. Claimant's
wife was travelling on
Kanawha Turnpike in South Charleston, West Virginia. She testified that
the road is a two-lane
highway, and the road was very dark at the time of this incident. She
was travelling at
approximately 30 - 35 miles per hour. The vehicle struck a pothole which
measured
approximately 3 112 - 4 feet long, 2 112 feet wide, and 6 - 8 inches
deep. She was not aware
that the hole existed prior to the vehicle striking it. The hole was on
the left-hand side of her lane
of the road. The vehicle's left front tire struck the hole. The vehicle
was damaged in the amount
of $364.52.

Claimant's wife was driving home, and she had her five-year-old
daughter in the car with her at
the time of this incident.

While the State does not insure the safety of travellers on its
highways, respondent does owe a
duty of reasonable care and diligence in the maintenance of the
highways. Although there was no
direct evidence that the respondent had actual notice of the existence
of this defect. The Court is
of the opinion that it did have constructive notice. The size of the
pothole is indicative of its
presence for some time prior to the date of this incident. See Stone v.
Dept. of Highways, 12
Ct.Cl. 259 (1979) and Miller v. Dept. of Highways, CC-84-71 (1985). The
Court hereby
makes an award to the claimant in the amount of $364.52.

Award of $364.52.

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