A social media post has been making the rounds this week promising a simple solution for Des Moines drivers with pothole-damaged vehicles.

Request a claim form from the city. Get an estimate. Take pictures. And the city will "take care of the rest," it reads.

But that's not exactly the case.

Since the post first showed up Monday, Des Moines City Attorney Jeff Lester said his department has been bombarded with more than 150 claims for pothole-related damage — the most the city has received in at least five years.

Des Moines is investigating each claim. But vehicle owners expecting a payout from the city are likely to be disappointed.

In the past five years, Lester said he is not aware of any claims paid to drivers for pothole-related damage.

"Cities are not insurers of their roads," Lester said in a statement. "For a city to be liable for the condition of its roads, it must have prior notice of a particular condition and must have not repaired that condition in a reasonable time period after notice."

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When a pothole has been reported, the city has some leeway before it becomes liable for damages, especially when Des Moines has thousands of pothole reports over hundreds of miles of roads, which is the case this year.

Iowa law also uses the concept of "comparative fault," Lester said, meaning drivers must adjust their driving to the road conditions.

The story is the same in other metro cities.

"Basically, we're immune unless we received notice," said Bret Hodne, public services director in West Des Moines, which had not received any pothole damage claims as of Thursday afternoon.

For those wishing to submit a claim in Des Moines, Lester said the correct way is by filling out a form from the city's website or requesting one by phone at 515-283-4564 or 515-283-4130. The city will investigate and notify the claimant of the result by mail.

Lester said the city will need "a substantial period of time" to investigate the large number of claims filed this year.

Insurance could help

Odds are slim that drivers with pothole damage will see any help from the city. But if a pothole causes extensive damage, it's possible that insurance could pitch in.

Lynne McChristian, a spokeswoman with the Insurance Information Institute, said damage from hitting a pothole is included under collision coverage, which about three in four drivers carry. She said such policies often have a deductible, which can range from $100 to $1,000.

"If the damage is higher than the deductible, it's something you should claim and get reimbursed for," McChristian said.

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Luke Veik, shop manager at Midtown Auto Repair in Des Moines, said he's been seeing more people coming in with pothole-related damage this year. Issues range from flat tires and bent rims to broken wheel bearings and damaged suspensions.

While fixes can be expensive, he said motorists shouldn't let what might seem like minor issue go unchecked.

A telltale sign of damage is wobbling or vibrating in the seat or steering wheel, he said.

"Even if it seems minor, it can be very dangerous to put things off," Veik said. "A lot of shops will take a quick look and not charge you anything. At least you know your situation or to stay off the highway."

Patching efforts continue

Des Moines' goal is to patch potholes reported to the city within one or two days, Public Works Director Jonathan Gano said.

But the city has received more than 2,000 pothole reports so far — more than the past two years combined — which means it's taking longer to keep up.

"In many cases we're patching the pothole sometimes the same day it's reported," Gano said. "But we're way past the ability to do that right now because of the sheer volume of locations."

Des Moines tripled its pothole-repair efforts this week. That will continue until the roads are sufficiently patched. Crews have used more than 460 tons of cold-mix asphalt in the last two weeks, much of it in the past four days.

That's "quite a bit more than normal," said Gano, who appeared Thursday on the NPR news program All Things Considered for a discussion about potholes.

Crews have been focusing on the city's 750 miles of snow routes, which are the roads that handle the most traffic and have the highest speeds. They will eventually move to neighborhood streets.

Ankeny has received 40 pothole repair requests on its website since Jan. 1. Crews are "working proactively" on arterial roads and addressing any complaints as they arise, communications specialist Jessica Barlow said.

In West Des Moines, Hodne said the city has received 50 pothole reports this season and are working extended hours to keep up.

He said the city, which invests heavily in pavement management projects to prevent potholes, is seeing "road deterioration where we weren't expecting to see any." This year, Hodne said, is among the worst he's seen in the metro in his 30-year career.

"Region-wide, I think I've seen pavement deterioration and potholes worse than I've ever seen it in some areas," he said.

Report a pothole

Anyone can report a pothole in Des Moines by calling 515-283-4950 or by completing the city's online form at j.mp/dsmpotholes.

Residents can also file pothole complaints and access a slew of free services using the city's myDSMmobile app. It's available for Apple and Android devices.