What to do if you have a car accident

Being involved in a car accident can be a terrifying experience. Your adrenaline is pumping, you are shaky, angry and perhaps scared too. In the more severe instance you may be injured too. In the immediate aftermath of any accident, no matter how big or small, always insure you, your passengers and any once else involved are safe. Then, secure the scene, ensuring all the vehicles are out of any further harm’s way

Here’s our guide to what to do if you are involved in a car accident.

Step 1 – If it is possible and you are not severely injured and can function then pull over to a safe place out of traffic and out of harms way to avoid any other collisions. Once you come to a stop, set your handbrake and switch off your engine, then switch on your hazard lights to make other vehicles around aware that you are not going move from there.

Step 2 – If possible, take a little time to breath to make sure you are okay to breath, once you had a moment to breath then you should check to make sure it is safe to get out of the car, use any road items or flairs if you have them to make other vehicles aware of the accident. If all is clear and you are fit to move, check on the other car or cars to make sure they are not severely injured, also whilst doing so to see if there are any pedestrians hurt.

Step 3 – once all the above is all okay or attended too and if anyone is injured then call the police, whilst doing so you can report the accident whether its minor or major which can be valuable to your insurer. When they arrive, explain what happened but not openly blame anyone or yourself at that matter and let the police determine what will happen next.

Step 4 – this step is where you will write up all that happened in the accident such as other drivers name and passenger’s names if applicable, car details etc. If you have a mobile camera phone, then take pictures of the damage done to both your car and the other vehicle that was involved. Doing all this will help later on when you claim through your insurance company.

Step 5 - this is the final step where you call up your insurance company and claim for the accident which then will be investigated and if approved you will get paid a lump sum depending on your motor insurance company.

Culled from the internet

10 Top tips for when choosing a Health Plan

Like most insurance products, we do not realise how good or bad a policy is till we need to claim – which is the worst possible time to realise this. So, to ensure you take out the best possible Health Plan we have put together 10 tips to help guide you.

1.    Select your provider carefully
This may seem a little obvious, but choose your Health Plan provider with care. You want to choose a reliable provider who will not vanish or let you down when you need them the most. Choosing a well-known company that has been established a while will be wise here.

2.    Keep the future in mind
When choosing Health Plan do not just think of the immediate future, always think how your needs may change in the future. If you are newly married, will you may need cover for pregnancy or new born babies?

3.    Choose the right type of cover
There are different types of Health Plans available, do some research, do some comparisons, talk to experts and ensure you choose the most suitable product for you and your family.

4.    Ensure you have the correct “Sum Insured” figure
Sum Insured is the maximum amount that a person who is insured can be reimbursed or covered for in one policy year. When choosing this take medical costs into consideration, but be careful not to over quote else you will be paying too much for your policy.

5.    Which hospitals are on the insurer’s panel
Before purchasing the policy check which hospitals are on their approved panel. This will help you when it comes to visiting hospitals, clinics and other medical service providers. Ensure the hospitals are local to you and have a decent reputation.

6.    Ask how the premium was calculated
A common formula is used when calculating your Health Plan Insurance, but sometimes there are variables such as excess and the Sum Insured, so it is wise to check what these figures are.

7.    Always read the small print
As with all insurance, always check and carefully read the small print. Make a note of all the clauses, and if you are not happy with them then question them. Ultimately if you are not happy with the clauses, question them and if you are still unhappy then simply walk away.

8.    See what others say
The purpose of a Health Plan is to have peace of mind and knowing that you would be protected if the worst were to happen. Before choosing the plan and provider read reviews about both, online reviews are great, but also ask around friends and family who may have the same policy/provider.

9.    How flexible is the provider
A health plan is a long term commitment not just by you but by the provider also. Ask how flexible they are willing to be if your financial and health situations changes.

10.    Ask if the company offers a no claims discount
Like Motor Insurance, many Health Plan providers give you a discount if you do not use the policy. Accumulated these discounts can have a big impact on your premium.

 Culled from www.axamansard.com

Police arrest five kidnap, robbery suspects in Rivers

The Rivers State Police Command on Friday said it had apprehended five armed robbery and kidnap suspects in Ubima Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
The police added that it recovered ammunition from the suspects during the operation that lasted for over three hours in the criminal safe havens in the area.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, revealed that the suspects were arrested during police raid in Ubima community.
Mohammad noted that the preliminary investigation carried out by the police had proven that the suspects were responsible for the series of kidnappings and robbery activities around in the LGA.
 He disclosed that further investigation into criminal activities in the area was still ongoing, stressing that the police would not rest until area was freed of criminal elements.

German ex-foreign minister,Genscher is dead

                                                           Hans-Dietrich Genscher 

Former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher has died at the age of 89, his office has announced.

He died on Thursday night at his home in the town of Wachtberg-Pech, near Bonn, of heart failure, a statement said.
Mr Genscher served as West German foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1974 until reunification in 1990, continuing on in the role until 1992.
He was also chairman of his liberal FDP party from 1974 to 1985.
During the Cold War, Mr Genscher's policy of detente towards the East and his early recognition of then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's desire for change is credited with paving the way for Germany reunification.
 He was a great European and a great German,and he was also a strong advocate of European unity.
Announcing his retirement from Parliament in 1998, he said: "European unity is the answer to the mistakes of the Germans and of European history. It is the answer to a terrible world war. These reasons stand even today."

Man Arrested in Zimbabwe For Sleeping With A Cow

A middle-aged man employed as a herd boy in Muchecheti Village, Masvingo District of Zimbabwe, Misheck Runesu, has been charged before a magistrates’ court after he was caught red handed having sex with a neighbour’s cow.
According to Zimeye, the incident which is seen by residents as a taboo and a bad omen, could bring fatal results if some sacrifices are not carried out to appease the gods of the land.
Runesu was arraigned before Magistrate Sibongile Mkandla on charges of bestiality after he was caught making love to James Makwarimba’s cow in broad daylight. It was gathered that Runesu was herding cattle on March 14, around 1pm, when he took a tree bark and tied the hind legs of Makwarimba’s cow and had sex with the beast.
A villager from the area said:
“Runesu betrayed his neighbour’s trust by what he did. We were shocked when we heard about the incident because Makwarimba treated him like his own brother.

California approves minimum wage increase

In a move that puts California at the forefront of efforts to raise wages for low-income workers across the country, the Legislature approved a sweeping plan Thursday to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years, boosting the future paychecks of millions of the state's workers.
The Senate voted 26 to 12 — with loud cheers of “Si se puede” from the gallery above — to give final approval and send the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk less than one week after a legislative compromise. Brown will sign the wage hike into law in Los Angeles on Tuesdayday.

Whoopi Goldberg launches Marijuana company

                                                              Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg has revealed she is launching her own medical marijuana company to help women who suffer from menstrual cramps.

The actress and TV host's Whoopi & Maya line, created with businesswoman Maya Elisabeth, will include a balm, bath soak, chocolate drink and tincture.
The products are designed to help ease and relieve period pain.
Goldberg told reporters that her daughter and granddaughters had inherited her "horrific" cramps but when she spoke to men in the marijuana business about developing a product she was told it was "too niche a market".
"It's like, half of the planet is not a niche market!" she said.
"Most guys don't have any idea what a period is or how it works. It's like, 'There's a vagina, and there's an egg...'"
The star has been open about her cannabis use in the past which she says has helped with glaucoma-related headaches.

Ambode orders repair of Lagos-Badagry expressway

 

Akinwunmi Ambode

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has ordered the state Public Works Corporation to embark on immediate and extensive repair of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to ensure free traffic.
The General Manager and Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Works, Mr Ayotunde Sodeinde, told newsmen in Lagos on Thursday that the corporation had already mobilised its workers to site.
Sodeinde said that the repairs would include covering of all potholes on the road and giving the drainage systems would a facelift.
 "You know that when the roads are good, it means economic growth; people will be able to move from one part of the state to another to transport their goods without stress".It will also reduce crime rate on the roads as hoodlums and pickpockets thrive when there is gridlock.We are on our feet to ensure that we put the road in order to reduce the traffic on the road,” Sodeinde said.

Exposed: UK School Promoting Extreme Islam

A private Muslim school in Yorkshire is promoting an extreme form of Islam, claiming that Jews are engaged in a global conspiracy to take over the world and that adopting British customs is forbidden.

The Islamic Tarbiyah Academy in Dewsbury teaches 140 primary school children in an after-school madrasa and runs full-time classes for over-16s and adults.
Mufti Zubair Dudha, the centre's founder and head, is a respected cleric from the orthodox Deobandi sect which is thought to control half of all mosques and madrasas in the UK.
In one leaflet Mr Dudha quotes the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an early 20th Century anti-Semitic forgery, which claims to prove Jewish people are engaged in a global conspiracy.