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Aside from Bjork, Iceland have been responsible for two things in recent years that have caused major
Bjork is from Iceland. FACT. (picture: thetripwirenyc via Flickr)
Over 300,000 British consumers had savings in ‘Icesave’ accounts when the brand’s parent company Landsbanki went bust in 2008. The total deposits in these accounts topped the £4bbn mark.
Both the British and Dutch governments underwrote deposits by their citizens. The money that they used to do this, they asked for back from the Icelandic government. The British government was criticised by some Icelanders for using so-called ‘anti terrorist’ legislation (involving asset freezing) to do this.
A deal to repay the debt was reached. Under the plan the debt that Iceland would be in would have been equivalent to 12,000euro for each and every citizen. Understandably this has proved controversial in Iceland, and president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has refused to sign the bill authorizing the measures into law.
By not signing off on the plans to repay £3.1bn to Britain and the Netherlands Grímsson has triggered a referendum on the matter. The outcome of this is far from clear, but at least it seems as though British savers will not find themselves out of pocket.
With low interest rates leading many savers to look at overseas fixed interest savings products the reemergence of this story provides a timely reminder of the dangers. There have been hints that the base level of interest could be ten times higher than it is now. This means that though those ‘switch and save‘ offers might not be looking so stellar in terms of returns right now, this is likely to change. In the meantime knowing that deposits are secure is vitally important, as the Iceland experience will doubtlessly make the government less inclined to underwrite overseas banks in the future.
One of the things that us cyclists regularly encounter when we talk about our hobby or preferred commuting method is the perception that riding a bike is dangerous. This perception is a major thing that holds back a lot of people from taking it up.
The truth is that cycling can be dangerous, but so can lots of other things if you don’t take proper care. There is lots of very sensible advice available to help you keep yourself safe on two wheels. If you follow the guidance from, this one, for instance, which has been put put up by Access Legal who are a group of solicitors. If you follow all the advice then you will not get yourself into an accident – and even though you will have reduced your chances of being involved in one generally, the risk is still there.
If you are in an accident that is caused by somebody else, you could be more than within your rights to make a claim for compensation. If you are looking to do this then you may find that it is best to go with a cycle accident claim specialist rather than your regular solicitor, as they have more experience within this branch of the law.
There are a number of things that you need to try and keep in mind if you are in a involved in a bike accident. It can be tricky in the moment, but a little presence of mind can make all the difference.
Firstly you need to make sure that your remove yourself from further danger! This cannot be emphasised enough. Make sure that both yourself and what is left of your bike are safely off the road and not causing any kind of obstruction.
The next thing to remember is to get the insurance details of anybody involved in the incident.Things it is essential to recordare names and addresses, vehicle registration numbers and also vehicle makes, colours and so on.
As well as details of the people involved in the accident, finding witnesses is very important. Remember to do it at the time, as tracking them down after the fact can prove to be next to impossible.
Britain has more CCTV cameras than any other country. If you are involved in an accident, then there is a chance that you may be able to get footage of the incident or the circumstance. If you have a camera on your phone try and take some snaps yourself.
Remember that you can seek compensation for things over than injury. If your bike or clothing is damaged you can seek restitution for this as well. Do not throw away anything that is damaged in the accident, it will be needed as evidence should you wish to get it payed for by the person who caused the accident.
