The short version

Yes — under Collision coverage, not Comprehensive. Hitting a pothole is treated as a collision with an object, and Collision explicitly includes pothole damage.

Collision is optional in North Carolina, so a driver carrying only minimum liability has no coverage for it. And because Collision carries its own deductible, many pothole claims are not worth filing.

Why collision rather than comprehensive

Collision covers damage from your car striking another vehicle or a stationary object — a pole, a guardrail, a tree, a curb. It includes rollover and pothole damage. Comprehensive covers non-collision events: theft, fire, flood, hail, falling objects, animal strikes and glass.

A pothole is something you hit, so it falls on the collision side. See collision vs. comprehensive for where that line sits.

Note what this means: a driver who carries Comprehensive but dropped Collision to save money has no pothole coverage.

The deductible problem

This is why most pothole damage never becomes a claim.

A bent rim, a blown tire, or an alignment often comes in below or close to a collision deductible. Filing gains you little and still records a claim.

Suspension damage, multiple wheels, or damage discovered later can change that arithmetic. Get it assessed and quoted before deciding.

Will it count against me

A pothole loss is generally evaluated under Collision. Its effect on premiums or accident classification depends on the facts and applicable rating rules; do not assume every Collision claim receives the same treatment.

That is genuinely different from a comprehensive claim like hail or hitting a deer, where nothing was your doing. It is one more reason the deductible calculation matters here.

Claiming against the city or state

You can report the hazard and ask the responsible city, county, or state agency about its reimbursement process. Recovery is not guaranteed, and legal requirements can depend on the authority and circumstances. Obtain current instructions and seek legal advice if responsibility or a deadline is disputed.

A road-authority reimbursement request does not replace your insurance claim obligations. Keep records of both processes and tell the insurer about any recovery for the same damage.

What to do

Get off the road safely and inspect for obvious damage before driving on. Photograph the pothole, the location and the damage. Note the date, time and conditions. Report the hazard to the relevant road authority. Then get a repair quote before you decide about a claim.

Use a repair estimate to understand the potential payment

Suppose a shop estimates $900 in covered pothole repairs and the Collision deductible is $1,000. In that simplified example, the repair amount is below the deductible. If the covered estimate is $2,600 with the same deductible, the potential payment is $1,600 before other adjustments. Neither example decides whether you should file; it shows why the deductible and a complete diagnosis both matter.

Ask the shop to inspect more than the damaged tire. A wheel, suspension component, or alignment issue may require a separate line on the estimate. Keep the initial diagnosis and any later findings together so the insurer can distinguish damage from the event from pre-existing wear.

Document the event without putting yourself in danger

Record the road name, direction of travel, nearest intersection, date, and approximate time. Take photographs only from a safe location; do not step into traffic to collect evidence. Keep receipts for emergency towing, tire replacement, and diagnostic work, and ask the insurer what it needs before disposing of damaged parts.

A pothole report to a road authority and an insurance claim are separate processes. Reporting a hazard does not guarantee compensation. If you pursue reimbursement from the responsible authority, obtain its current claim instructions and deadlines. Do not delay a required insurance notice while waiting for a response from the road department.

Questions to ask about claim handling

Ask whether your Collision coverage applies, how the deductible will be handled, and whether towing or a temporary vehicle has separate coverage. Then ask how the insurer would classify the loss for rating purposes. A Collision claim should not be described as automatically receiving a particular surcharge without reviewing the facts and applicable rules.

If the car develops vibration, pulling, or a warning light after the impact, have it assessed before continuing normal driving. Tell the shop when the symptom began and keep the written findings. The goal is to understand the full repair scope and your policy obligations, rather than making a decision using the price of one tire alone.

How The Jordan Insurance Agency helps

The Jordan Insurance Agency is an independent agency in Charlotte. We will confirm whether you carry Collision at all, tell you what that deductible is, and give you a straight answer on whether a pothole repair is worth filing — usually it is not, and we will say so.

For help reviewing your current coverage, visit our Auto Insurance page and explore the related questions in our Auto Insurance FAQ guide. Bring your policy and the details described above to your consultation so we can review the provisions that apply to you.

Coverage references: NCDOI Auto coverage guidance. Reviewed September 29, 2026. The issued policy and applicable law govern individual claims.