Jim Hodkinson, former CEO of B&Q, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of London-based start-up Genius IP, maker of Quadsaw, the world’s first drill for square holes. Hodkinson’s appointment follows the completion of the company’s latest ‘Angel’ funding round, which increases the multi-million pound investments in the
The trucking industry is a necessary and vital part of American life. It is responsible for transporting retail items like food all across the country. Without those huge trucks and the people willing to drive them, there would barely be an economy to speak of. However, as necessary as trucks
Life is full of uncertainties. Things sometimes don’t always go as planned and if there are no plans on how to manage or tackle those unwanted occurrences, then inevitably, huge losses would be suffered by the parties involved. For these reasons and more, there is such a thing as insurance.
The UK is getting back into business. Gradually, sector by sector, we are beginning to embrace the ‘new normal’, and businesses are once again raring to go. After the most recent loosening of lockdown measures, many pubs, bars, and restaurants have opened their doors to the public again. The likelihood
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy. The quarterly tracking
INDUSTRY experts are warning that it could take up to a year for the property industry to fully recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the Government allowed estate agents to reopen and construction work to begin again. It estimates that more than 450,000 buyers and renters had been unable
In these extremely challenging times Savills London Development Land team are pleased to be able to report some positive news in the market. The Savills team have had an outstanding few weeks: since working remotely they have exchanged contracts on 9 land transactions with a combined value of £146 million.
Blockchain is a technology that remains incomprehensible to many participants in the IT market and other areas. Company IBM believes that blockchain able to produce qualitative changes in the global economy, leading to the emergence of second-generation economy. But in order for this to happen, considerable effort must be made.
Living in the US, consider yourself extremely lucky if you have never been part of a car accident in your life. According to Statista, there are approximately 273 million registered vehicles along with over 225 million licensed drivers in the United States with an average of nearly 10 million car
Two real estate firms have acquired a 294-apartment residential rental complex in east London from Kennedy Wilson for approximately £100 million as part of their PRS joint venture programme. Realstar, a real estate investor and manager, and global real estate company QuadReal Property Group have added to their growing London
Jim Hodkinson, former CEO of B&Q, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of London-based start-up Genius IP, maker of Quadsaw, the world’s first drill for square holes. Hodkinson’s appointment follows the completion of the company’s latest ‘Angel’ funding round, which increases the multi-million pound investments in the start-up. The latest seven-figure round was helped by the UK government’s enhanced EIS scheme, which has encouraged individuals to invest funds at a level that was previously only reserved for Venture Capital firms. Manufactured in the UK, Quadsaw is a seamless attachment to a power drill that uses patented technology to convert rotary motion into linear motion in four planes at once, enabling users to cut square holes with minimal dust and absolute precision. Almost all construction projects require square holes for electrical sockets and other boxes but electricians currently create them with pencils, rulers and other tools that are not specifically designed for the task, which can be time consuming and inaccurate. Quadsaw solves this problem by enabling square holes to be cut in seconds rather than minutes, saving the construction industry millions of hours of labour annually. The appointment of Hodkinson as Chairman further strengthens the company as it aims to expand production globally. Hodkinson will utilise his extensive business experience and international network to help accelerate this expansion. As well as his roles at B&Q and Kingfisher he was previously CEO of fashion chain New Look and Chairman of Wyevale Garden Centres. He is currently Chairman of Furniture Village. Hodkinson said: “Quadsaw is the most exciting new product to arrive on the tools market for many years and it has the potential to be used worldwide. Wherever a square hole is needed Quadsaw will be there and I’m looking forward to helping the company achieve this global expansion.” Ean Brown, CEO of Genius IP, said: “We are delighted to have someone with Jim’s knowledge and experience to help steer the ship as we enter international waters. While 2020 started with sales momentum, when COVID-19 hit, the company was hurt much like most businesses in the world. But we used the time to recruit new engineers, invest in infrastructure for growth, including a design update of the Quadsaw and a bigger production facility. “We are glad to say that we’re now ready to meet global demand and the new design will be able to cut sockets to electrical standards in different markets that were not possible before.” The new design enables the user more flexibility to change the position of the blades to account for different-sized square and rectangular holes. As such, the Quadsaw will be sold around the world, including in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Middle East, Italy, Brazil, Israel and more.
The trucking industry is a necessary and vital part of American life. It is responsible for transporting retail items like food all across the country. Without those huge trucks and the people willing to drive them, there would barely be an economy to speak of. However, as necessary as trucks may be, they can also be extremely dangerous if they get into an accident. That is because the sheer mass of a truck dwarfs that of any other vehicle on the road. One of the more common kinds of truck accident is the jackknife accident and there are a lot of reasons why that kind of accident can happen. But if you are involved in that, or any other kind of truck accident, then you don’t care about the cause, you care more about how you will pay for the various expenses caused by the accident. An experienced injury attorney can help you to get the compensation you need from the trucking company that is responsible for the truck involved in the accident. So contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as you can after you have been in an accident. What is a Jackknife Accident? This kind of accident occurs when the trailer being towed by a semi-truck swings around so that it is to the side of the truck rather than behind it. The truck and the trailer end up creating a sort of V-shape, like a partially opened jackknife. This usually happens when either the truck or the trailer loses control. A jackknife incident can be very dangerous because the trailer swinging around could hit multiple cars and since the truck is practically impossible to control when the trailer goes out of control, the truck could end up colliding with other vehicles as well. Basically, a single jackknifing truck could end up being responsible for a multi-vehicle pileup. The Common Causes of a Jackknife Accident A jackknife accident usually occurs when a truck loses control and there can be many different reasons why that could happen. Speeding When a truck is going too fast and needs to stop suddenly, the driver will naturally jam on the brakes. The sudden deceleration can cause the trailer to lose control and swing around. This can lead to a jackknife accident on straight roads but it is far more likely to happen on a curved road since the trailer is already out at a slight angle. That is one of the many reasons why speeding is far more dangerous in a truck than it is in a car. Poor Vehicle Maintenance Every part of a truck and its trailer needs to be properly inspected and maintained on a regular basis. The brakes are especially important because they need to be correctly adjusted so that the vehicle comes to a smooth stop. If the brakes have not been properly adjusted, then the axles on the trailer could lock up before the axles on the rest of the truck. When that happens, the truck will end up dragging the trailer since the latter’s brakes are locked up, which could cause the trailer to swing around and cause a jackknife accident. Underinflated tires, balding tires, and fading brakes can also lead to the truck losing control and causing an accident. Bad Weather If the weather conditions have made the road slick and slippery, then that could increase the chances of a jackknife accident occurring. The truck and trailer could lose traction and that could cause the trailer to swing around towards the truck. All drivers should exhibit extra caution in slippery conditions and that is especially true for truck drivers. Overweight Cargo When a truck is pulling too much weight, it becomes much harder to control and takes a longer time to come to a stop when the brakes are applied. That is bad enough but the weight of the overloaded cargo can also shift around; if the truck is traveling too quickly when that happens, then a jackknife accident could happen when the truck loses control. Contact a Truck Accident Attorney If You Were Involved in a Jackknife Accident A jackknife accident can cause a lot of damage and as you can see, the causes are nearly always related to the driver or the trucking company. That is why you need the help of a truck accident attorney to take on the trucking company and hold them accountable for the accident. Your attorney will help you to get the compensation you need to take care of the expenses caused by the accident, such as repair bills and medical bills. Those expenses are likely to be high because of the potential damage a truck accident can cause. So contact a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Life is full of uncertainties. Things sometimes don’t always go as planned and if there are no plans on how to manage or tackle those unwanted occurrences, then inevitably, huge losses would be suffered by the parties involved. For these reasons and more, there is such a thing as insurance. What Is Insurance All About? When mishaps and accidents that generally result in damages, be it to the body or to property, occur, the means through which recompense or indemnification is paid to the victim of such an occurrence Is what is known as insurance. The idea is to try to restore the victim of such an occurrence to the status such a person (both legal and natural persons can be in this category) was before the damage or loss was suffered. It is basically a contract given as a policy by an insurer (this might be a company, an individual an underwriter etc.) to another for a small amount with the promise of reimbursement in the event of any loss or damage. You can read more about it here. However, while it is advisable to be covered by one policy or the other, there are those who by virtue of their engagements, business routines and the services they render, are more prone to the occurrence of these contingencies. These contingencies leave them susceptible to many actionable claims which can lead their organizations to bankruptcy and thus incapable of rendering their services. One group of people that such situation can affect a lot are contractors. Contractor’s Liability Insurance This specific policy is primarily targeted towards contractors who have people under their employ or who function on their behalf and who would be held responsible for the acts of their employees. This policy shields them from the financial liability they would have incurred from such occurrences. It is a necessity for them because of the responsibilities that come with their line of work thus, for them, it is required that they have a contractor insurance policy for the following reasons: To Protect them From Claims: This is necessary to protect them from cases of vicarious liability which is the liability of an employer for acts or damages caused by an employee in the course of duty. This principle holds true in law because, as an employer they are responsible for the actions of all that work for them in the course of rendering services. To Protect their Employees: Accidents do happen in work environments that might result in serious injuries to employee(s) who would be rightly entitled to some recompense as a result. Again, some jobs are more accident prone than others thus making it imperative that employers get this policy for their workers. They also benefit from it. To Pay Legal Fees: This policy ensures that the legal fees are paid in the event that there is a claim against the employer in court. Without this policy, an employer will be hit hard by the legal cost of these claims in court and these costs can be crippling for a business. Boosts their Reputation in Commercial Circles: unlike in the past, one of the ways that people evaluate a smart business owner or contractor is from the insurance coverage that the business has. This improves their chances of getting contracts as it tells potential clients that their business is adequately covered and in doing business with them, theirs will be well covered as well. Relaxed Mind: The daily struggle that most contractors have to endure is already a big load on its own. To now add to it thoughts of probable law suits in court or claim(s) to settle can be quite disconcerting. But by getting this policy, an employer frees him or herself of this burden. It Is a Requirement In Some States: In some states, getting this policy is a mandatory requirement in order to carry on your business in that state or city. An example is the state of California. Sites like https://www.contractorbond.org/california-contractors-general-liability-insurance/ will provide more details regarding this. Conclusion There are smart steps that every smart contractor or business owner in this field that wants to thrive should take in order to successfully run their business. One such step is getting a contractor’s liability insurance policy This is important because they are ultimately in the best interest of the business owner or the contractor.
The UK is getting back into business. Gradually, sector by sector, we are beginning to embrace the ‘new normal’, and businesses are once again raring to go. After the most recent loosening of lockdown measures, many pubs, bars, and restaurants have opened their doors to the public again. The likelihood is that it won’t be too long before most offices will begin to reopen as well, and the 8.4 million people who were furloughed and the many working from home will return to their workplace, ready to make up for lost time. However, it won’t be quite as simple as wandering back to your old desk, greeting your colleagues, and getting back to normal as if nothing has changed. Workplaces are set to undergo a complete transformation, adjusting to the legal requirements of social distancing and the ethical requirements of supplying employees with the necessary PPE to feel safe in the workplace. The new workplace will involve many essential measures, but from squirts of sanitiser to mandatory face masks, how much is this all going to cost? Let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of PPE costs and find out how much the UK is going to have to fork out for the safety and wellbeing of its workers in the following months. 2 pumps of hand sanitiser per hour for every worker — £3,058,560 Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, hand sanitiser has become an essential item, and many wouldn’t leave their home, let alone re-enter the workplace, without one in their bag. Health and Safety England have set out guidelines for the use of hand sanitiser including tips on how to identify a suitable product for your workplace, but how much is this product really going to set us back? For every single full-time employee to get two pumps of hand sanitiser for every hour they are at work, the overall cost for one day back in the office will amount to £3,058,560! And it looks like this measure will certainly be needed for the foreseeable future. 2 face masks for each worker — £72,000,000 Next up, we have face masks. Face masks are absolutely essential for frontline workers and they are now also a legal requirement for anyone travelling on public transport in most parts of the UK. It will be at each business’s own discretion whether or not facemasks are essential in the workplace. But for service industry workers in particular, face masks are of great importance and could play a vital role in protecting staff. In total, the UK would have to fork out £36,000,000 to ensure that each and every full-time worker has access to a face mask. For two masks each, which would be more appropriate, the cost would amount to a staggering £72,000,000. Floor markings in all commercial spaces — £1,234,309,789 Social distancing is set to remain in place as we return to our places of work, with two metres being the original rule, and one metre distancing coming into play when necessary (‘1m-plus’). However, when there is a large number of employees or customers in one space, temporary floor stickers are necessary to uphold the social distancing regulations. In the UK today, there are 678,192,192.00 square metres of commercial space. So, to have social distance markings at every two metres, it will collectively cost £1,234,309,789 for businesses in the UK. A deep clean of all commercial spaces in the UK — £2,373,672,672 As well as getting all the PPE in place as employees gradually re-enter the workplace across the country, businesses are going to have to dramatically step up their hygiene efforts. Naturally, this will call for regular deep cleans so that every surface is left sparkling. For every business to conduct one thorough deep clean, therefore covering every inch of commercial square foot in the country, the overall cost will come to £2,373,672,672. Training — Free! Finally, we have the cost of training staff in essential health and safety procedures. Thankfully, the World Health Organization is offering online training courses completely free of charge. These courses include subjects such as Infection and Prevention Control, health and safety briefings for respiratory diseases, Operational Planning Guidelines, and more. Overall total — £3,683,041,021 So, for day one back in the office, the collective cost for the UK will be a staggering, £3,683,041,021. The costs may seem steep, but for the businesses that are beginning to reopen, health and safety must be the priority above all else. In relation to a safe return of the workforce, Gary Peeling, Chief Executive Officer at Where The Trade Buys, said: “With shared office spaces gradually reopening, businesses will require numerous health and safety products to ensure the safeguarding of their staff. Ahead of office doors reopening, careful planning will be needed in order to put the necessary protective equipment in place and enhance health and safety measures before employees return to the workplace.” Gary Peeling, CEO at UK commercial print company: Where The Trade Buys, currently producing PPE for UK workplaces, hospitality venues, retail stores, education spaces, charity shops, the NHS and more. The company has also been involved in manufacturing face visors for NHS essential workers in the fight against Covid-19. Sources: Data Sources: Number of employees NOS: Full time workers: Pumps on hand sanitizer: Average cost of hand sanitizer: https://sanitizersupply.co.uk/hand-sanitiser (500ml bottle bulk buy) Average cost of face mask: Commercial square feet: Average cost of a floor sticker when you buy in bulk (100):
The proportion of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months – from 14% to 27% – giving one of the first tangible indications that the Government’s easing of lockdown is having a positive impact on a key area of the UK economy. The quarterly tracking study by Hitachi Capital Business Finance goes beyond sentiment and confidence – it examines the percentage of small businesses that actually predict growth in the next three months. Following last quarter’s report, which saw the percentage of small business owners predicting growth plummeting from 39% to just 14%, the new findings show the highest quarter-on-quarter rise in five years. With 27% predicting growth overall, there were significant rises in the percentage of small businesses predicting moderate expansion the next three months (up from 10% to 23%) or no change (26% to 43%). This meant there has been a huge reduction in the percentage of businesses that fear contraction (down from 31% to 19%) or collapse in the next three months (down by almost two thirds from 29% to 11%). By sector, the IT/telecoms sector had the highest proportion of small businesses that predicted growth for the three months to 30th September (44%). The biggest rises in confidence since lockdown were evidenced in and transport and distribution (up from 8% to 34%) and manufacturing (9% to 30%), where the resurgence of growth forecasts was striking. There were also significant rises in sectors hardest hit by lockdown: In retail, the percentage of small businesses predicting growth rose from 21% to 27% – and in hospitality growth forecasts rose from 11% to 16% in the three months since April. The research also suggests that smaller, more agile enterprises will be the fastest to adapt to the UK’s re-emergence from lockdown: Small businesses that had been trading for less than five years (35%) and those that employed 10-49 employees (37%) were most likely to predict business growth for the next three months (to 30th September). Gavin Wraith-Carter, Managing Director at Hitachi Capital Business Finance commented: “The latest Hitachi Capital research findings are remarkable for both the scale and the speed of the revival in small business confidence. We knew last quarter that small business confidence would fall as lockdown started and the scale of the fall was a concern, particularly the steep rise in the number of business owners fearing for their survival. Our new research – just in – shows what an immediate and positive impact the easing of lockdown has had on the small business community. Whilst bigger businesses are having to adjust and adapt at a slower pace, small business confidence across the UK has bounced back and as the engine room of the British economy, today’s figures can give us confidence that small businesses will lead the nation’s effort to rebuild the economy and secure growth.”
INDUSTRY experts are warning that it could take up to a year for the property industry to fully recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the Government allowed estate agents to reopen and construction work to begin again. It estimates that more than 450,000 buyers and renters had been unable to progress their plans to move since March, while a survey conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recorded an significant increase in buyers and sellers cancelling transactions in April. Addressing the figures, which also reflected a decline in new buyer enquiries and properties being listed for sale, chief economist Simon Rubinsohn said: “Not surprisingly, the latest survey shows that housing activity indicators collapsed in April reflecting the impact of the lockdown. “Looking further out, there is a little more optimism but the numbers still suggest that it will be a struggle to get confidence back to where it was as recently as February. “Critically, to ensure the housing market can begin to operate in a more functional way and that developers have the confidence to continue building in these very difficult circumstances, further specific interventions from Government are likely to be necessary.” Rachel Gaylor, head of residential property at The Head Partnership Solicitors, said: “Luckily, as conveyancers can work remotely we have been actively been able to help people complete property transactions throughout the lockdown. Now our property peers can return to work, we are looking forward to helping clients who have had to put their plans on hold”. And supportive of the new measures – which will observe the two-metre social distancing and protective equipment guidelines – she added: “People still need to move because of job changes, upgrades to a larger premises as their family grows, or first time buyers wanting to take advantage of the current record low interest rates. “It is predicted there will be an increase in would-be homebuyers planning to move to more rural towns as people conclude home working is here to stay, or dream of a different pace of life.” One major housebuilder which has begun a phased re-opening of its construction sites in Berkshire is Barret Developments, parent company of David Wilson Homes. Although its sales centres and show homes remain closed, David Wilson Homes says it has developed a set of working practices and protocols to ensure safety is a priority across all of its sites. Changes have affected signage, site welfare facilities, site access, walkways and training, as well as the introduction of Social Distancing Marshals who will be present on all sites to ensure compliance with health and safety measures. Managing director at David Wilson Homes Southern, Paul Crispin, said: “Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees, sub-contractors and customers. “In line with our commitment to put our customers first, we will be prioritising the completion of those homes that our customers have already exchanged or reserved.” Mr Crispin added: “As a business committed to doing the right thing we have been supporting the NHS and our communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have donated PPE to local NHS services and defibrillators to St John Ambulance from our sites across the region and are working with charities and organisations to help local communities.” Persimmon Homes has also announced the re-opening of its sites across England. Development work will run from Thursday to Monday each week. Ben Felton, director in charge of Persimmon Homes Thames Valley, said: “We are delighted that we are now in a position to be re-opening our new developments and showhomes. “Our sales advisers have worked extremely hard to help existing and new customers during this difficult lockdown period and continue to be able via phone and email. Reservations and completions have, in fact, remained strong despite no face-to-face contact. “Even so, being able to meet with househunters, albeit at a safe distance, is an important step forward and will be a help for many people. Looking around the showhomes to see the type of properties on offer is also valuable for many people. “We look forward to welcoming people in the days and weeks to come.” Changes to sales trends were also felt by Padworth-based Westbuild Homes who commented on the effect of the lockdown. Managing director Guy West said: “The lockdown prevented a quarter of our houses from being sold on our Arborfield Green development. “Fortunately the development is surrounded by open spaces, so recent interest in the remaining house has been very encouraging. “We expect sites such as this, and ours in Barkham to be of more interest, given buyers’ recent desire for garden space and close proximity to countryside. “We are also now finding fibre optic/ ultrafast broadband higher up buyers’ necessities.”
In these extremely challenging times Savills London Development Land team are pleased to be able to report some positive news in the market. The Savills team have had an outstanding few weeks: since working remotely they have exchanged contracts on 9 land transactions with a combined value of £146 million. These disposals and acquisitions take the total number of 2020 deals done to 16 transactions. The results demonstrate continued demand from purchasers for a range of development opportunities across London. Tim Whitmey, Director in Savills London Development Land team said: “We are delighted to be announce this extremely positive news during the most challenging of times. While we are under no illusion that these very difficult conditions will continue, at least in the short term, there are still a number of domestic and international buyers active across both the Central and Greater London residential development sector. The Savills team are working harder than ever alongside their clients and we look forward to building on this successful start to the year”
Blockchain is a technology that remains incomprehensible to many participants in the IT market and other areas. Company IBM believes that blockchain able to produce qualitative changes in the global economy, leading to the emergence of second-generation economy. But in order for this to happen, considerable effort must be made. Now more and more companies are starting to work with blockchain – a technology that allows you to restructure human economic activity, making this industry more efficient. In addition, the blockchain allows you to optimize other areas as well, since finance is far from the only area for working with this technology. Despite the fact that the technology has been on the market for about five years, it is only at the beginning of its formation and popularization. More information can be found at https://bitcoins-evolution.com How it works What is blockchain? If simplified, then this is a distributed storage system for records, access to which is available to any user on the network. Entries entering the system form the so-called blocks, which, in turn, are linked into a single chain. From here came the name blockchain – a chain of blocks. Almost immediately after the blockchain entered the fintech services market, IBM Corporation realized its promise and began to study the possibilities of technology and developments in this area. It is very important to realize that blockchain is not only bitcoin, during forex trading hours, a cryptocurrency that has been talked about and written about over the past few years. The scenarios of the possible use of this technology within the organization or as part of the interaction of individual companies are many. So, using the blockchain, you can organize financial transactions between banks around the world without a single center, develop a supply system of almost any type (leasing cars, assembling complex devices, etc.), create a fast and reliable system for concluding contracts between a buyer and a seller, or the recipient of the service and its provider, organize a mailing system. Blockchain can be extremely useful for organizations that exchange information, valuable data, but do not trust each other too much. In this case, the technology allows to simplify and improve the processes of exchange and storage of information related to the interaction of these organizations. In general, the benefits of using blockchain are still not entirely clear to company executives. In order to help realize the possible profit from working with the blockchain, IBM has developed a fundamentally new cloud services based on this technology. They help ensure the reliable operation of a new class of distributed financial applications. And if you combine the blockchain with the Internet of things (IoT), then in this case, users of the system get the opportunity to work with data. An example is the fixation of the temperature of a sent parcel with a record of all received data that is transparent and becomes available to the sender, recipient and carrier company at the time of registration. Both the sender and the recipient will receive all recorded changes in the parameters of the package in real time. IBM Information Training Despite the fact that the promising nature of this technology is obvious to many companies and specialists, most of the companies still do not work with blockchain. But information about the technology is spreading quickly, and company leaders, having heard about its wide capabilities, instruct developers to implement these capabilities in enterprise services and applications. Well, so that developers better understand what blockchain is, IBM runs the so-called IBM Garages. These are peculiar service stations that are either already open or will be organized in the near future in major cities of the world. In addition, the IBM Global Business Services division at one time announced plans to provide advice on blockchain issues in such areas as logistics, finance, and banking. Future of Blockchain Blockchain future is expected to be bright compare to other cryptocurrencies. As it is easy to use, and use at the international level. Most of counties authorize this cryptocurrency. One can get huge knowledge about blockchain on the internet. Blockchain is a transparent, secure, and porous system this technology will change the way people think about exchanging value and assets.
Living in the US, consider yourself extremely lucky if you have never been part of a car accident in your life. According to Statista, there are approximately 273 million registered vehicles along with over 225 million licensed drivers in the United States with an average of nearly 10 million car accidents every year. With over 313,000 miles of public roads the most of any state, Texas alone, has more than 13 million licensed drivers. Further, the car insurance industry estimations say that the average driver will file a claim for a car collision about once every 17.9 years, suggesting that if you got your driving license at the age of 16, the odds are that you are going to experience some kind of car accident by the time you turn 34. The average person has a total of 3-4 accidents over the course of a lifetime. Photo from Pinterest Being involved in a car accident is a shocking and frustrating experience. Moments after a car crash, adrenaline is rushing and emotions are running high. In order to protect your health and your financial interest as well, it’s of the highest importance to remain calm and to know what further steps to take. After checking everybody involved for injuries, it’s time to take the necessary steps following every regular car crash such as filing an insurance claim. Such a claim is a request made to an insurance company for compensation regarding the traffic accident that happened to you. Car repairs can be quite expensive, so if you are involved in a crash, you’d want to know how to file an auto insurance claim. Therefore to know what to do about the claiming process, we’ve highlighted the key information you may need. What to do right after the accident? First things first, after an accident, move your vehicle to a safe spot out of traffic if possible; if not, turn off the engine and exit the car carefully. Even if no one is seriously injured, it’s important to call the police and report the incident. This step can help clarify what does fault mean in car insurance terms, as the police report often plays a key role in determining responsibility, which can impact claims and future premiums. Gather the proper set of information and details about the car accident, so when it’s time to file a claim you will have everything written down and pictures you can use as evidence. Don’t place blame on the other driver, you’ll figure everything out later with your insurance company. Take photos of the crash scene, photos of the vehicles involved, drivers involved, license plates and any damage done to the vehicles. Also, exchange information with the other driver including contact and insurance details. Call the police Call the police! As you will probably be shaken up after an accident, having an officer take down the details of the traffic jam in the police accident report is always the best option. Officially titled “CR3 Peace Officer Report”, such a report is used by law enforcement to record the details relating to your accident involving any type of vehicle. You can also claim your Texas crash report online, which is indeed a very important piece of paper to have in order to file the insurance claim. Whose insurance do I call after the accident? In general, in accidents where the at-fault driver accepts responsibility, you probably won’t need to call your insurance company unless you were at-fault. In simple clear liability accidents, the sooner you call your insurance provider – the sooner the provider can help you get things back to normal. What happens if the other driver doesn’t have an insurance policy? In general, if you get into a car accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance pays for the damages and injuries. Yet, if the other driver is uninsured, things get a little bit more complicated and here’s what you should know. Driving a car without car insurance for any period of time is considered illegal and that’s why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is very important. If you get in an accident by a driver with no insurance, your uninsured or underinsured insurance will kick in and help you cover your medical expenses. Also, if you’re at fault, not only you will be paying out of your pocket for any medical expenses or damages to the vehicle, you’ll be responsible for paying the other driver’s injuries and damages. You might even get sued by the other party for the damages you caused them, could be issued a ticket, potentially lose your license and registration and face jail time. How do I file an insurance claim? Just give a call to your insurance company and they’ll walk you through the process and ask for all relevant information. As soon as your claim is filed, a claim representative will contact you to go over and claim the process to follow. The insurance company will review your claim and work with you to correctly evaluate it. After that, they will assess and try to complete it as quickly as possible. Photo from Pinterest What relevant documents do I need to have in order to file a claim? According to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, when filing a claim you will need to submit the policy number which can be found on your insurance card; date, time and location of the accident; a detailed description of how the accident occurred; you will have to name the police department involved and the police crash report number and provide insurance and contact information of the other party involved. This is why it’s very important to collect all relevant information right after the accident and to write down as many details as you can. What happens with the car insurance claim after an accident? When your claim is filed, your insurer will assign a claims adjuster to examine your case. The adjuster will do a number of things such as reviewing
Two real estate firms have acquired a 294-apartment residential rental complex in east London from Kennedy Wilson for approximately £100 million as part of their PRS joint venture programme. Realstar, a real estate investor and manager, and global real estate company QuadReal Property Group have added to their growing London portfolio by buying up the asset in the east of the city. The deal represents Realstar’s fourteenth PRS investment in the UK and marks the fourth asset in the £1 billion London rental joint venture between the Canadian-headquartered firm and QuadReal. Described as a ‘landmark development within Ilford town centre’, Pioneer Point includes 294 residential units within two towers. There is 35,000 sq ft of fully leased commercial space and 10,000 sq ft of extensive resident amenities. In common with other Build to Rent projects, the development offers residents a dedicated on-site concierge and property management suite, as well as resident lounges, meeting spaces and work pods. Residents can also benefit from a quiet lounge, entertainment spaces with open-plan kitchen and dining rooms, a kids’ zone, games room and cinema. Pioneer Point is just a stone’s throw from Ilford Station, which offers fast connections into London. These will be further enhanced once Crossrail (the Elizabeth Line) becomes fully operational at some point next year. Ilford is a key transport hub on its eastern section, linking Essex with East and Central London.