City of Tyler Not Responsible for Slag Damage

TYLER — The City of Tyler says it is not responsible for damage to vehicles due to the slag/sand mixture it used to de-ice roads in January. According to KETK, Tyler drivers had complained of ruined tires after driving on slag-covered roadways and blamed the city. Jenny Wells, public relations specialist for the City of Tyler, said the city had received a total 34 claims notices related to the use of the slag/sand mixture. The claims were forwarded to the City’s Third Party Claim Administrator, Innovative Risk Management, for review. INR “performed an independent evaluation and found that the City is not liable for property damage caused to tires by the use of this material on the streets during this ice event,” Wells said.

Despite the finding, Wells said, “as a gesture of goodwill,” the city has offered to pay up to $100 toward verified property damage to those individuals “who filed timely claim notices and who submitted documentation to substantiate proof of disabling tire damage following the event.”

Of the 34 claim notices filed, 20 have provided this documentation, and 18 have received the goodwill payment thus far, Wells said. The payments are for tire damage only. In future, Wells said, the city will use brine mixture TxDOT uses.