In most cities, potholes are a mild inconvenience — an annoying bump in the road. But for one New Orleans resident, it’s become a full-blown neighborhood spectacle.
A viral video shared by Jasmine Saul shows the “catastrophe of a street” she lives. Shared through social media, the Ring camera clips show cars slamming into a massive pothole outside her home on Acadia Street, causing suspensions to crunch day and night.
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“The sounds, the crashing, the car parts dinging, it makes my wall shake," she told WDSU News 6. (1) “Like, it got to the point where I can feel the car physically coming up the street before it even gets to, like, my front door.”
Saul says she first reported the issue back in 2023, but little changed — even after a city dump truck fell victim to the crater.
“It was very ironic that a city dump truck got stuck in a pothole,” Saul said.
Now, after years of frustration and viral attention, the city has finally patched it up. But residents are wondering: will this quick fix actually hold and will their insurance companies hike their premiums?
Going viral to get results
After months of sleepless nights and constant crashing outside her New Orleans home, Saul decided she’d had enough and took her fight online.
“Maybe if I compile a video of all the things that I hear all day and night at my house and show everybody else, maybe somebody does something,” she said.
Her viral video struck a chord not just because of the noise, but because potholes are a pain that every driver knows too well. A recent AAA survey found that one in 10 drivers last year hit a pothole hard enough to cause damage, resulting in an average repair cost of nearly $600. Altogether, potholes drained U.S. drivers of roughly $26.5 billion in 2021. (2)
Figuring out who’s responsible for the damage can feel like its own maze. (3) If the pothole is on a municipal street, the city is usually responsible for maintenance — but that doesn’t mean they’ll automatically pay up. Drivers typically have to file a formal damage claim, provide photos, repair invoices and proof that the city was aware of the issue.
If the pothole sits on a state highway, you’ll likely need to file through your state’s department of transportation instead. And if it’s in a parking lot or on private property, the owner or management company could be on the hook.
Still, success varies. Some states cap how much you can recover, and others deny claims altogether. That’s why many drivers turn to their own insurance for help — specifically collision coverage, which can pay for repairs regardless of fault. But every claim you file goes on your insurance record and could impact your premiums later, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (4)
In other words, that bump in the road might hit your wallet twice.
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The real cost of a bad road
Melvin Adolph, owner of Lakeview Automotive, told WDSU News that one bad pothole can do far more than just jolt your morning coffee.
“It could mess your oil pan up, blow your tires out, mess up your undercarriage,” he said. “We just had one a while back — he busted two tires and two wheels in alignment, but he’s lucky he didn’t do any big damages for a suspension.”
Adolph says repair costs can swing dramatically depending on the type of vehicle and the severity of the hit, but they add up fast. He’s seen bills start around $1,200 and climb as high as $7,000.
If your car gets damaged by a pothole, it may be worth consulting a legal professional, especially if you believe the city was negligent in maintaining the road. (5) Some drivers have successfully recovered repair costs by showing a pattern of ignored complaints or repeated issues in the same area. You can also contact your state’s consumer protection office or small claims court if you believe the damage resulted from neglect.
You might also consider filing a complaint with your local public works or transportation department to ensure the problem and your claim is officially logged. It won’t fix your car overnight, but it helps build a paper trail that could support future reimbursement efforts or pressure local authorities to act faster.
As for Saul, she says the city finally sent a crew to patch the street just days after her video went viral. It’s a small victory after years of unanswered complaints. Whether the fix will last, though, is anyone’s guess.
“If you’re persistent and if you just bug them enough — and thanks to Jasmine, she really went above and beyond. It’s a shame that’s what it takes, but that’s what you got to do,” said one neighbor.
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Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
WDSU News (1); AAA (2); Liberty Justice (3); Allstate (4); Gainsberg Law (5).
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Louisiana woman’s viral pothole video shows cars slamming, parts flying as city scrambles to patch the damage
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.