“Can I file for bankruptcy if I’m unemployed?” It’s a question I frequently hear as a Memphis bankruptcy attorney, and the answer is yes. Many unemployed people file for bankruptcy — there’s nothing wrong with it. It makes sense, too. Bankruptcy offers relief during hard times. People often struggle with their finances after losing a job, and a significant portion of people filing for bankruptcy each year cite unemployment as a leading factor. How unemployment affects your bankruptcy process depends on the type of bankruptcy you’re filing — either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Unemployment Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to get rid of unsecured debts — including credit card debt, medical bills, and
History shows us that healers and physicians have long been held to a higher professional standard of care toward their patients. As far back as 2030 B.C., the Code of Hammurabi, Babylonian Law #218 warned that “If a physician makes a large incision with the operating knife, and kill him, or open a tumor with the operating knife, and cut out the eye, his hands shall be cut off.” Decisions from occurrences of medical malpractice were documented at the close of the 12th century A.D. on the English Common Law and Plea Rolls; the practice of which continues today. But it was nearly 100 years later when Roman laws included medical malpractice as a legal wrong and the concept of
Birth defects and birth injuries are both devastating health problems that thousands of families face each year. Although they’re equally heartbreaking, and often with similar symptoms, birth defects and birth injuries are actually quite different from a legal standpoint. Here are the main differences to be aware of. 1. Birth injuries often arise from someone else’s negligence. A birth defect is a medical condition that develops when an infant is still in the woman. Many are genetic and cannot be prevented while others are the result of lifestyle choices. A birth injury, on the other hand, is not a condition that a child was born with. It is damage that occurs before, during, or after delivery. Common birth injuries include
Lawyers Fighting Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Cases in Memphis, Nashville, Mid-South TN We are ready to fight the pharmaceutical companies who are responsible for the opioid epidemic. The most vulnerable victims of the opioid crisis sweeping our nation are our children, which is why we are dedicated lawyers fighting Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome cases. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS, is a group of symptoms that babies who become addicted to opioids in the womb suffer after birth. Once cut off from the opioid drugs it was receiving from its mother during pregnancy, a newborn has a difficult road ahead. NAS has both long and short-term symptoms. Initially, a child born with NAS may refuse to feed, cry excessively, have blotchy skin, slow weight
As a father, I know from experience that every parent wants to provide for their children and give them the best life possible. As a bankruptcy lawyer, with more than 30 years’ experience helping families who are filing bankruptcy in Tennessee, I also know that sometimes short-term sacrifices and difficult decisions are what’s best for a child in the long run. Throughout my career, I have seen bankruptcy keep thousands of families together and actually make stability at home possible. No parent filing for bankruptcy looks forward to sharing the news with a young child. Many of the mothers and fathers I’ve helped have experienced fear or anxiety. They’re worried about losing their homes and other big life changes that
I often tell people that debt can happen to anyone. Throughout my 30-plus years as a Memphis bankruptcy lawyer, I’ve met thousands of people who are in debt through no fault of their own. Many of them are honest, hard-working men and women who were hit with an unforeseen medical emergency. A study released by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2017 found that medical debt is the number one reason collection agencies contact consumers. Of the consumers in the report who had been contacted by a collection agency, 59% were for medical bills. In 2016, a report from the Kauffman Family Foundation concluded that more than 25% of Americans have someone in their household struggling to pay medical
NAS Children Suffering Brain Developmental Delays – TN Lawyers Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome has a devastating effect on Tennessee’s children. The most devastating way the opioid crisis affects Tennessee is in NAS children suffering brain developmental delays. NAS stands for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. NAS is a group of symptoms that babies born addicted to opioids suffer from. Opioid drugs pass onto a child in the womb if a mother takes them while pregnant. She may take these drugs for pain management or due to an addiction. When born, the child is cut off from the potent opioid drugs and quickly goes into painful withdrawal or NAS. NAS hurts children when they are first born, and long after. The initial symptoms
It’s getting harder to remember a time when you had to actually call a taxi. While there’s no denying the convenience, or the explosive popularity, of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, they can create some tricky situations from a legal standpoint: Who foots the medical bill if you’re a passenger in a ridesharing accident? The short answer is that it’s complicated. Here is my perspective as a Memphis auto accident lawyer. Ridesharing may not be as safe as it seems. Ridesharing companies like to tout their services as an affordable option for people who may have otherwise driven drunk, but the real story is a bit more complicated. Some studies have indeed found a decrease in alcohol-related car accidents
When credit card bills are piling up and car payments feel impossible, creating a budget is often the first step people take to get their finances back on track. If done correctly, a budget can do wonders, helping you save for your first home or even retirement. If you’ve filed for bankruptcy, budgeting is especially important. As a bankruptcy lawyer Memphis TN has counted on, I have seen this simple process change lives. Bankruptcy is the light at the end of a tunnel, offering a fresh start when you need it most. But if you continue to spend above your means after filing, rather than taking necessary steps to prioritize and focus your finances, you’ll end up right where you
Playgrounds are places of recreation and fun: smiling children, hide and seek, and swing sets. But one fall from the monkey bars can quickly ruin an otherwise perfect day at the park. Every year, more than 200,000 children visit the hospital for a playground-related injury; more than a tenth are treated for a traumatic brain injury. Here’s what you should know about playground accidents. The Most Common Causes Lack of Supervision Regular observation of a child at play is critical to preventing accidents. School teachers and daycare staff have a responsibility to prevent reasonable harm to those under their care, but understaffing is a big issue. If a child is injured on the playground due to negligent supervision, those responsible