so if you drove over a railroad track and the same thing happens, would you expect the railroad to pay for it?
those things are in every gas station (as far as i know) and you should be smart enough to try and avoid them
as far as the pothole situation, that is the states responsibility to fix and is part of the reason we have to pay taxes, i would try to get someone to pay for a damaged rim because of a pothole. especially if its the states money.