Can the Repo Man Take What’s Inside Your Car? If your car gets repossessed with your personal property still in it, what options do you have? What if the repo agent takes your laptop, or car seat, or cell phone by accident? Here’s what you need to know about car repossession and personal property: Get Your Property Out While You Can Of course, if you can, remove your property before the agent ever gets there. If you’re present during the repossession, they should let you remove your personal items. They also aren’t allowed to damage the items, so if they won’t let you near the car, you can ask them to hand the property to you. The Repossession Agent Must Return
How Healthcare Reform Could Affect Your Right to a Trial by Jury Some legislators have recently proposed caps on medical malpractice lawsuits. This means limiting the case to a certain dollar amount. Supporters say this would cut down on “frivolous” cases, which they claim keep healthcare costs high. But in my opinion, capping these lawsuits won’t help average Americans and, in fact, could really hurt them. Here are some of the problems with caps on medical malpractice lawsuits: 1. Other civil suits don’t have similar caps. If someone says something offensive about you in the press, you can sue for hundreds of millions of dollars. But if someone takes off your right leg by mistake, you can’t let the jury decide what that’s
5 Tips for Filing Bankruptcy When You’re Still Young It may feel lonely and a little upsetting to consider filing bankruptcy when you’re still young. And yet with rising education costs, a difficult job market, and skyrocketing housing markets, bankruptcy has become a common tool for young people. So I’ve put together some tips on bankruptcy for millennials who might be afraid of the process. Fortunately, if you do it right, bankruptcy can set you up for a much better financial future. In fact, you can come out of bankruptcy in better shape than when you went in. Here’s how. 5 Things I Advise Young People Considering Bankruptcy: 1. Find the right lawyer. Get an attorney you trust. Most bankruptcy attorneys offer a
What You Need to Know About SSDI Under a Trump Presidency With a new president in place, some experts in Social Security believe disability funding might change. But would those changes affect your disability application? While nothing is certain yet, recent discussion over the budget suggests a reduction in funding for Social Security Disability (SSDI). This poses the question: where and how will those cuts hit hardest? Here are three things that might affect your disability application down the road: 1. Changes in Services Due to Budget Cuts You may find the SSA takes longer to respond to you, or you might have trouble getting answers to your questions. Hiring freezes and personnel changes can save money quickly and may be one of
If you’re worried about debt and need a way out, you may have thought about bankruptcy. But “bankruptcy” is a scary word, and a lot of people do everything they can to avoid it – even when it might actually be the best option. Bankruptcy offers a lot of advantages, and we’re here to help you figure out if it’s the right choice for you. Here’s how to declare bankruptcy in Memphis, and what you can expect from the process: What It Means to “Declare Bankruptcy” Bankruptcy refers to a federal law created to help people who need a fresh start. It helps you get out of credit card and medical debt, stop foreclosure, avoid repossession, and end wage garnishment. Some
Driving Safely Around Unsafe Drivers in Memphis With St. Patrick’s Day almost here, we need to talk DUI car accident safety. St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday this year, so many partygoers will share the street with commuters and families. In Tennessee, state authorities estimate 40% of car accidents over the weekend will be DUIs. But what if you’re one of the safe drivers? You may have to share the road with the dangerous drivers, so what can you do to prevent DUI car accidents that hurt you or your loved one? Three Ways to Protect Yourself Against Drunk Drivers in Memphis First, if possible, change your route. Drive on smaller streets, and use streets with speed bumps and other deterrents that might
The Special Danger Truck Accidents Pose This week in Nigeria, a massive truck accident killed over 30 people. The truck carried human passengers and cattle, and was speeding at the time of the accident. Every day we share the road with vehicles capable of mass murder. Trucks pose a special danger and require regulations beyond the normal passenger vehicle. As a truck crash attorney in Memphis, I’ve seen what happens when rules break down, and I’ve noticed a few reasons we need the law to defend us against truck accidents. What the Trucks Carry Trucks carry living things, including people and animals. Any truck accident risks the lives of those passengers. But many trucks also carry other dangerous materials, including: construction materials like cement
When a Neighbor’s Dog Attacks When a neighbor’s dog attacks someone, it sends chills through the whole community. As a Memphis dog attack lawyer, I’ve seen the effects this can have on people’s safety and trust. 1. It affects the way neighbors treat each other. Dog attacks often happen after people have complained to the owner and to other neighbors. Having someone ignore the dangers of their own pet over and over makes everyone wonder if they can trust the person. We all want to assume our neighbors care about us and our children. Seeing someone ignore warning signs leaves everyone else with fear and suspicion. 2. It affects the community’s relationship with the police and animal services. If you complain for
How Garnishment Affects Waiters, Cab Drivers, and Other Hospitality Workers When an employer receives notice of a wage garnishment, it means they have to take a certain percentage out of their employee’s paycheck. They absolutely have to comply, or they can be held in contempt of court. But what happens when the notice demands a wage garnishment on tipped workers? Stop wage garnishment immediately! We offer ZERO DOWN TO FILE! Call 901-327-2100 to see if you qualify. In my home state of Tennessee, the law clearly says wage garnishment doesn’t apply to tips. This protects workers because: The employer doesn’t always know how much a person gets tipped. Tipped workers already experience instability because they can’t predict their wages. Some employers, sadly, might
Does Roundup Cause Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma? Recent research has shown a connection between Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: How Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) Develops Lymphoma occurs because of a change in DNA. Basically, you develop a genetic mutation. A lot of people mistakenly think of “genetic mutations” only as birth defects. But for lymphoma patients, these changes usually happen after birth. Some of the most common causes include: Radiation exposure Cancer-causing chemicals Infections These cancers start in the lymphoid tissue. And when caused by dangerous chemicals, they can affect people with no other risk factors at all. Roundup and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Roundup is the enormously successful herbicide created by Monsanto. It contains a few different dangerous chemicals, including something called glyphosate. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, and