The City of Edmonton is bracing for a record number of claims for damage from potholes this spring.

In January alone, the city says it received 74 claims for pothole compensation, the highest monthly number ever.

In all of last year, the city received only 128 claims.

While most people don't bother filing claims, many more others, such as Terry Wisniewski, don't even realize they can.

"This year's been a nasty year," said Wisniewski who runs a fleet of buses for Tien Lung Taekwon-Do, an after-school non-profit group. "Our front-end work is up 30-40 per cent."

But for those who do file claims, the odds of getting compensation for repair work are stacked against them.

On average, almost 80% of claims are rejected as the onus is on the victim to prove the city was negligent in repairing the pothole.

The city blames this winter's fluctuating temperatures for this year's proliferation of potholes.