A mate of mine hit a pot hole on a country road, that sent him into an embankment. It buckled his wheel, popped his tyre, scuffed his wing and bumper and damaged something in his suspension. He changed his wheel, limped home and reported it to the council the next day. He got it all repaired free of charge, but only because the pothole had been previously reported and the council failed to fill it in. He was told by the council if he was the first to report it, he wouldn't have been able to make a claim!! It took him over a month of making phone calls, sending letters and generally pestering them but was worth it in the end because it would have cost him well over a grand.
Your best bet may be to get a friend to ring the council and tell them that he's hit a pothole but it hasnt caused any damage, Then ring them yourself and report the damage it has caused you. This may not be strictly lawful but it should increase your chances of a payout:icon_thumright:
Ryan