Stupid broken drain cover....

[anarchyok]

So whilst I was away camping this week, my wife hit a broken drain cover that was sticking out on the side of a chicane. The result - 2 slashed tyres, 2 dented rims and possible underbody damage. I should know by this arvo the extent of the damage and whether to go through insurance ($950 excess) or bite the bullet and pay for damage myself.

My question is, and refer to pics attached, should I be chasing the local council for the cost of the damages? And if something similar has happened to you, how did you approach the council and what was the outcome? I've seen threads on potholes, but nothing relating to damage from a curb. The drain in question in the pic shows that it has been taped off to prevent pedestrians falling down it - does this prove the council regards it as a hazard and does that help my cause? The actual part that was hit was knocked down into the drain by the impact so is not shown jutting out in the pic taken.

Your thoughts on this would be appreciated!

The drain....



The results....