How you and your car can get out of the (pot)hole

You did your best to dodge the crater that suddenly opened up in front of your trusty car, but it was all for naught.

You hit the pothole, your tire's toast and there's a hefty repair bill.

But before eating that cost, you might want to check with the local unit of government responsible for the road where the damage occurred.

Most counties plus the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Toll Highway Authority have reimbursement policies if claims are reasonable and backed up with documentation.

Of course, "the tollway does not reimburse every single person for every single pothole," authority spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said.

But in a number of situations, governments will offer compensation if the pothole's been neglected for a long period.

"If it's taken an inordinate amount of time to repair - that claim may have a case," Lake County human resources Director Rodney Marion said.

"We deal with it on a case-by-case basis," McHenry County Maintenance Superintendent Mark DeVries said.

Here's a sampling of state and county agencies to contact.

• IDOT: Incidents and claims for Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties are handled by the District 1 office at (847) 705-4401. For more information, visit dot.state.il.us/claims/claimsinformation.asp

• Illinois Tollway: The agency asks drivers to report potholes at *999. To file an insurance claim, first make a report with state police at (630) 241-6800, Ext. 5042. Claim forms are available on line at illinoistollway.com. Click on the Traffic and Construction tab, then on the insurance claims link.

• City of Chicago. Report potholes to 311. Repair reimbursements are handled by the clerk's office. For information, call (312) 744-6861 or visit chicityclerk.com

• Cook County: Motorists should have the incident location, photos of damage plus an estimate and receipt for work done. Claims can be discussed with Joe LaFata at the Safety and Training Division at (847) 827-1164.

• DuPage County: Call the Department of Transportation at (630) 407-6900.

• Kane County: Call the Department of Transportation at (630) 584-1170.

• Lake County: Report incidents to lakecountyil.gov/servicerequest.htm. Claim questions should be directed to the risk management department at (847) 377-2241.

• McHenry County: Call the main switchboard at (815) 334-4000, dial O and ask for the risk management department.

Drivers who hit potholes on municipal roads should contact their local governments.