Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC can help you if you’re hurt in a skateboarding accident caused by a pothole in Kentucky. A skateboarding accident is hard enough on its own without factoring in things like potholes and broken sidewalks. But these things cause more than their fair share of accidents, and they’re totally out of your control. We can help you get back on your feet. Set up a free consultation today.
Should I Get a Lawyer?
Skateboards aren’t just for skate parks anymore. People use them to get around neighborhoods, campuses, downtown blocks—sometimes just because it’s faster than walking.
The problem is that skateboards don’t leave much room for mistakes. A pothole, a sunken patch of asphalt, or a broken section of sidewalk can leave you injured in the blink of an eye. Potholes don’t usually appear overnight, and figuring out who was supposed to fix them—and how long they’d been there—can get tricky.
On top of that, insurance companies don’t always take skateboard injuries seriously. It’s not uncommon for them to downplay what happened or act like the fall was automatically your fault. Legal help can matter here, especially if the:
- Pothole looks like it’s been there for a while
- Area gets “fixed” quickly after the fall
- Insurance company starts asking questions that feel off
The issue isn’t that skateboarding has risks. It’s whether the surface you were riding on should’ve been reasonably safe to begin with. The bottom line is this: if you’re injured in one of these kinds of accidents, you have options. And the whole thing starts with getting the right information.
What Information Do I Need For a Skateboard Accident Caused by a Pothole?
If you’re able to gather information early, it helps more than most people realize. Potholes have a way of disappearing once someone gets hurt. They get patched, filled, or covered up. Sometimes faster than you’d expect.
- Pictures/videos. Photos help. Videos help too. Try to capture the size and depth of the pothole, but also take wider shots. Show where it’s located. Show lighting, surroundings, and why it wasn’t obvious while riding.
- Damage to your gear. If your board cracked, your wheels chipped, or your shoes or helmet took a hit, don’t rush to replace anything. That damage tells part of the story.
- Statements from bystanders. If anyone saw the fall—or even says something like, “That hole’s been there forever”—get their name if you can. Short comments like that can matter later.|
- Official reports. If a report was made by police, campus security, or a property manager, ask how to get a copy. This is going to give you a neutral, third-party account of the accident.
This stuff is hard to think about when you’re hurt. But once the pothole is gone, it’s a lot harder to prove that it was the main thing that caused your accident. And that’s what an insurance company or government agency is going to argue against.
Who’s Responsible When a Pothole Causes a Skateboarding Accident in Kentucky?
This is usually the hardest part to sort out. In Kentucky, responsibility for a skateboarding accident caused by a pothole comes down to this:
- Whether the person or agency in charge of the area knew—or should have known—about the pothole and didn’t fix it.
That sounds simple, but it rarely is. Depending on where the fall happened, responsibility might fall on:
- The state
- A city or county
- A private property owner
- A business that controls the area
Sidewalks, parking lots, shared paths, and entrances don’t always fall under one clear owner. Sometimes more than one party is involved. Sometimes the answer isn’t obvious at all until someone starts digging into it. Figuring this out early helps clarify what options actually make sense—and which ones don’t.
How Does the Claims Process Work With a Skateboard Accident Caused by a Pothole?
It’s here that your actual options for getting financial help come into focus. And it heavily depends on who was responsible. With that, it forks into two separate paths:
- Government owned property. If the pothole was the responsibility of the state government, you’ll need to file through the Kentucky Board of Claims. This is a state agency that’s responsible for possible negligence. And there’s a few key sticking points here:
- A one-year deadline to file
- A minimum of $250 worth damages
- A hard cap of $250,000 in total recovery
These all have to be met to file a claim against the State of Kentucky. And while it’s a possibility, most of these kinds of accidents happen on a lower level.
- City/private property. If the pothole was on city property or private property—say, a sidewalk, shopping center, apartment complex, or business parking lot—the process is more familiar. That usually means dealing with the property owner’s insurance company first. If that goes nowhere, a personal injury lawsuit may be the next step.
Either way, the focus is on how the injury affected your life. That can include:
- Medical bills and future care
- Missed work or reduced income
- Damage to your skateboard or other belongings
- Ongoing pain or physical limitations
- Changes to your daily routine
Where the pothole was—and whether it had been a problem before—often explains why it was left unfixed.
Where Can Potholes Cause Skateboarding Accidents in Kentucky?
Given the nature of these kinds of accidents, it’s not all that surprising that they tend to happen in the same kinds of places again and again:
- Older sidewalks and downtown streets
- School campuses and shared walkways
- Parking lots and driveways
- Construction zones with temporary surfaces
- Poorly lit areas where defects are easy to miss
Most of the time, this isn’t about reckless skating. Skateboards are sensitive to surface changes, and riders have a reasonable expectation that commonly used areas won’t contain hidden hazards.
Help With Pothole Skateboarding Accidents in Kentucky
A skateboard fall caused by a pothole can leave you sore, frustrated, and unsure whether it’s even worth looking into. A lot of people don’t know where to start—or if there is a place to start.
At Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, we help people across Kentucky sort through what happened and figure out what actually makes sense next. We help protect evidence, explain deadlines, and keep things straightforward. Set up a free consultation today to get the process started.
