Despite long process, Charleston man highlights state car repair reimbursement

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – People who damage their cars on South Carolina roads could be eligible to have their repairs refunded.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has a program where drivers can file a damage claim against them if a road issue, such as hitting a pothole, causes harm to their vehicle.

This was exactly the case for Johns Island resident Kevin Walsh when he was driving down an SCDOT-managed road.

Walsh says he was traveling on I-26, on the way to help his wife, when one of his front tires suddenly blew out after hitting a pothole, forcing him to pull over on the interstate – and he wasn’t the only one.

“It’s a small car, so like the entire car shook when I hit it… There were like three or four other cars right there that had done the same thing,” Walsh said.

After getting a replacement tire for a little over $300, he found out about the department’s program to reimburse vehicle damages.

“I was relieved, I thought, ‘At least I will get my money back,’ because my whole day was shot,” said Walsh.

SCDOT explains on its website that it has 180 days from the time the claim is filed to approve or deny it.

Walsh says it was not this easy for him, adding that he met all requirements needed and had reached the end of his patience.

“I’m pretty patient… I let the whole 120 or whatever days go by and they passed it on to Banks Construction,” Walsh says.

That construction company, which was working on the road where the pothole was, then passed the blame back onto SCDOT.

“I think they were just hoping I would forget about it,” Walsh said.

Walsh says he went months without answers, when that reimbursement money could have helped go toward his cancer treatments.

“That’s a car payment and… that’s how much I paid at MUSC every month for my treatment,” Walsh said.

After several more months of waiting and a lack of communication, Walsh says he finally received his reimbursement check this month, around seven months after the incident.

“It’s just not right that it takes them so long on a claim that was their fault,” Walsh said.

Despite the lengthy process, Walsh said he was happy to have finally received his reimbursement check and wants to spread the word about this program.

To see what requirements are needed to be reimbursed by SCDOT and learn more about the process, click here.

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