Gillian Conroy, a Clark County resident, was driving on Southwest Capitol Highway on April 22, 2022, when she ran over a pothole that couldn’t be seen from a distance. The lawsuit says she was ‘abruptly and forcefully’ jolted out of the seat, and her head struck the ceiling of her car, causing ‘numerous physical injuries, including a concussion, traumatic brain injury, tinnitus, torn rotator cuff, and numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises.’
The lawsuit alleges that the city, county, and state were negligent in failing to monitor the roadway for the pothole, to mark it with warnings so drivers could avoid it, and to repair it before someone got hurt. The suit says that Conroy has racked up $66,000 in medical bills and could be facing an additional $100,000 in medical costs. It also seeks an estimated $2 million in lost future earnings and $1.5 million for pain and suffering, which includes depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The city, county, and state have declined to comment on the pending litigation. The stretch of road where the pothole was located is within the city limits of Portland and is maintained by the city. It is not maintained by the county or the Oregon Department of Transportation, so it is unclear why those agencies are listed as defendants.
Potholes have long been a point of great annoyance to many Portland area road users. To address those concerns, the city has set up a website where residents can report potholes, and publicizes its efforts to fill them. A map of potholes across the city on Tuesday showed six potholes that had been ‘closed’ and one – marked in red – that had been ‘reported’ on the one-block segment of road that Conroy says she was injured on.
Meanwhile, the city of Portland next month is asking voters to renew a levy that will raise millions to fix up roads, including by filling potholes.
