Multiple cars suffer flat tires after driving over dislodged expansion joint on East Freeway

CHANNELVIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Multiple drivers are now dealing with flat tires and damage to their cars after an expansion joint became dislodged on the East Freeway Monday evening.

Expansion joints are the long strips between sections of road on a bridge. They allow the concrete to move without cracking in conditions like extreme heat.

Cell phone video obtained by ABC13 showed multiple cars and trucks driving over the loose metal panel near the Monmouth St. exit.

Drivers who were in the area at the time said they saw disabled vehicles pulled over on the shoulder and traffic backed up for hours.

Bambi Hall, a spokesperson for TxDOT, said the incident happened around 7:30 p.m., and the issue was fixed about three hours later. The transportation agency confirmed it received reports of multiple cars that had its tires blown, but could not say how many there were.

Baytown police did not respond to requests for that information.

ABC13 has covered multiple instances of broken expansion joints on bridges across the greater Houston area this year, including one from two weeks ago on the Fred Hartman Bridge. TxDOT closed down two northbound lanes of the bridge over the Houston Ship Channel, taking about two days to get the issue fixed.

READ MORE: 13 Alert Traffic: Fred Hartman Bridge NB lanes reopened following emergency expansion joint repairs

Hall explained that expansion joint issues are common, calling it "normal wear-and-tear." She said that there's usually no way to know ahead of time if it's going to happen.

"All of our roadways are deemed safe for motorists and anything that comes up out of the blue will be immediately addressed," said Hall.

But for drivers who are now left footing the bill for damage to their cars, what are their options for possible reimbursement? According to Hall, motorists seeking compensation can file a complaint on TxDOT's website.

Kim Bruno, a personal injury attorney, recommends submitting that complaint to TxDOT as soon as possible, since she said there is a deadline and it can take a lengthy amount of time to reach a resolution. She also advises filing a claim with your own auto insurance.

"That way your own insurance covers the damages for your vehicle in the meantime and then they would subrogate through TxDOT," said Bruno. "Subrogation means that insurance will essentially take on the bulk of the liability for the time being while they're waiting to be reimbursed by TxDOT."

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