Data shows the unpaid claims by Caltrans in the Central Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Across California, drivers are told to record a assertion with Caltrans if a authorities freeway oregon road damages their vehicle, but lone a tiny percent of those are getting approved.

Now, our ABC-owned stations are taking enactment by looking into the numbers, and uncovering retired what it takes for drivers to really get paid for their damage.

"I conscionable retrieve thinking, I'm going to die," said Jennifer Sowers, who filed a assertion with Caltrans.

In August of past year, Jennifer Sowers and her household were driving backmost to Visalia from Kingsburg connected southbound Highway 99.

"Something flew up and we saw it flying up, and thankfully my hubby reacted. He knew determination were radical connected either broadside of us, but what came flying astatine america was a 4 ft by 4 foot, committee of plywood, oriented strand board," said Sowers.

She tells Action News a chunk of wood caused a batch of harm to their Toyota 4Runner.

"You tin spot the hood was each screwed up, truthful this full hood needed to beryllium replaced," said Sowers. "It deed the beforehand grille of our car first, and that benignant of chopped it successful half, and lone a 2-foot by 2-foot conception of the committee came backmost and deed our windshield and shattered each of the solid connected my side."

She learned the committee came from a equine trailer similar this 1 driving down the freeway.

Sowers says the harm to her SUV was estimated astatine much than $8,000. Since it happened connected a California highway, she filed a assertion with Caltrans.

"We didn't perceive backmost from them until January 18," said Sowers.

That effect astir six months aboriginal from Caltrans read, "Based upon the Department of Transportation's investigation, the section is rejecting your claim."

Sowers is not unsocial -- the ABC Owned Stations information squad crunched the numbers crossed Central California.

From Mariposa County down to Tulare County, betwixt 2018 and 2023, drivers filed much than 1,300 claims with Caltrans.

Of those, astir 1,000 person been resolved.

Caltrans lone approved nether 140 claims, conscionable 14 percent.

In 2023, erstwhile back-to-back atmospheric rivers rocked the full state, the fig of claims skyrocketed.

The immense bulk of claims are owed to potholes, including 85 percent of those filed successful 2023.

Darryl Hosepian with A-1 Auto Electric says the pothole occupation is thing new.

"The deterioration and teardrop with the potholes connected our California highways is beauteous bad," said Hosepian.

The front-end enactment tin get costly.

"You could spell up to $1,000 easily. Just with a insignificant pothole, if you're going excessively accelerated and deed it astatine the close speed, you're going to bash harm to each your tires connected the beforehand successful and past possibly, you're doing harm to your customized rims oregon wheels connected the conveyance also," said Hosepian.

Action News took our findings to Caltrans. The bureau said it tries to respond to issues arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

"We analyse erstwhile the pothole is reported, and past we analyse our Caltrans Maintenance responses to the potholes and erstwhile the pothole was repaired," said Marc Bischoff, Caltrans Public Information Officer.

Spokesperson Marc Bischoff explained wherefore galore of the claims get denied.

"If the circumstances aft the probe bash not conscionable the criteria acceptable successful authorities codification 835, past we're not liable to wage for it," said Bischoff.

That authorities codification reads, "A nationalist entity is liable for wounded caused by a unsafe information of its spot if the plaintiff establishes that the spot was successful a unsafe information astatine the clip of the injury."

He suggests going done your security to wage for the repairs, thing Sowers did.

"We, of course, made our assertion to the security institution and, of course, had to wage our deductible, and that is each we are asking Caltrans for," said Sowers.

Now, not lone has her security gone up, but she inactive has to determine if she volition get a lawyer oregon not to writer Caltrans for the damage.

"It's frustrating and infuriating," said Sowers. "We wage a batch of substance taxes successful this state, and that is what is maintaining our roads, and that is wherever Caltrans gets their budgets and their wealth to hole and repair. Yes, the debris that flew disconnected someone's conveyance is not their problem, but the occupation is that the debris was connected the roadworthy for hours."

Sowers says she tries to thrust adjacent much cautiously now, but doesn't judge her household should wage the terms for a concern that lone idiosyncratic other could person prevented.

"I consciousness if you bash the close thing, past the close happening should beryllium returned to you, and I consciousness similar Caltrans isn't doing the close thing," said Sowers.

Sowers is inactive trying to determine if getting a lawyer volition beryllium worthy it -- for her $500 deductible. She lone has six months from the day successful the missive to decide.

Caltrans says the astir important happening you tin bash is taxable roadway harm to them arsenic soon arsenic imaginable truthful they cognize astir it and tin hole it. You tin taxable harm here.

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