Tennessee is in the process of setting up a $7 million grant program to combat blight. They plan to buy up the vacant properties and transform them into affordable housing, parks, and other useful, renewed spaces. As part of this program, the Memphis City Council is considering a new nonprofit that would target blight in Memphis. Blight refers to dilapidated, abandoned properties that can sometimes lay dormant for years, leading to an increase in crime and lack of investment in certain neighborhoods. I applaud efforts to repair blighted neighborhoods. But obviously, it’s even better if we can prevent blight. Here are 3 ways bankruptcy can help do that: 1) Bankruptcy helps people in debt keep their homes. Our bankruptcy lawyers help
The Social Security Administration can’t get their computer system to work By: Darrell Castle Are you or someone you know facing a long delay in your Social Security Disability claim? Well, it may be because the Social Security Administration (SSA) can’t get its new computer system to work – the system it’s spent nearly $300 million to implement! “The program has invested $288 million over six years, delivered limited functionality and faced schedule delays as well as increasing stakeholder concerns,” said a report by McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm. Six years ago, the SSA was overwhelmed by the growing number of disability claims and wanted a better system. Now, they may be resetting the whole plan. There are
**Update 5/17/2011** Memphis City Beautiful has announced a cleanup weekend on May 21-22 for areas now dry but needing help after the flooding. **Update 5/5/2011** The mayor’s office has called on volunteers to help fill sandbags at the Pyramid today and tomorrow from 9 am – 6 pm. **Update 5/4/2011** The Red Cross has opened a Memphis shelter. Learn more about what they need, how to volunteer, and how to contact them. Here are a few ways you can help people in the Memphis and Mid-South area who have been displaced by recent flooding: 1. Provide Needed Items (**Update 5/10** Check with Hope’s website before donating since many of their
By: Darrell Castle Nursing home abuse attorneys can help victims and their families receive the compensation they deserve. If your loved one is in a nursing home, he or she might be abused or neglected today. In Tennessee, only 1 in 23 cases of elder abuse is reported. That’s because the abuser often controls the victim’s access to the outside world. Bruises go unnoticed. Behavioral signs aren’t witnessed. The abuse continues. I hope you’re regularly visiting your loved one in the nursing home. And if you’re not, then please do. And when you visit, look for signs of abuse. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation provides a list of abuse signs to look out for. And abuse isn’t just physical. It
While we love dogs, we know there are some whose tragic upbringing makes them violent. And when dogs attack, the damage can be expensive and traumatizing. At Darrell Castle & Associates, we represent violent dog attack victims, and we’ve seen it all. Here are 5 things we think you should know to protect yourself and prevent a violent dog attack: 1. Know Who’s Responsible The owner is always responsible for their animal. As a result, they can be held civilly liable if their dog attacks someone. If a dog has aggression issues, the owner should protect other people — especially kids — from playing and interacting with it. On walks, they should also keep a muzzle on hand to prevent
By: Darrell Castle Medical malpractice is scary and it can happen to anyone. We expect doctors to be perfect and not mess up, but that’s not human. Just as you make mistakes at work, doctors can too. However, when doctors mess up, the consequences are often a lot more severe than a mistype or forgetting to mail a letter to a client. Doctors need to be held accountable. And you need justice! That’s where a medical malpractice attorney comes into play. And here are 5 important things you need to know about medical malpractice. 1. A bad medical result is NOT necessarily medical malpractice When talking about what medical malpractice IS, it’s important to talk about what it’s NOT. It’s
The average Memphis household has over $5,300 in credit card debt, which would take an incredible 13 years to pay off if you only make the minimum payments. As a Memphis bankruptcy lawyer I’ve seen how much credit card debt can affect a person’s happiness and quality of life. It can feel like a hole you’ll never climb out of. We’re not meant to live that way. Here are 5 tips for getting out of credit card debt so you can have financial freedom and save more of your paycheck every month. 1. Gather Your Information The first step is to write down all of your debt and be honest about everything you owe. Are there any debts that might
Follow these steps to improve your credit: Here at Darrell Castle & Associates, our experienced Memphis bankruptcy attorneys not only want to help you get out of debt by filing for bankruptcy, but we also want to help you recover from it, which means improving your credit. First you’ll want to reduce your credit debt. And here’s how: Negotiate Your Rate It doesn’t hurt to just ask sometimes. You can reach out to the credit card companies and discuss what options you might have. Some companies offer payment plans. After all, they want you to pay in whatever way you can. Use Your Savings to Pay Debt Some people have both a savings account and credit card debt, but
If you or a loved one are taking prescription drugs, it is important to use them safely. Medications can do a lot of good, but they can also cause serious side effects and interact with each other in very dangerous ways. As a Memphis drug injury lawyer, I’ve seen the worst happen. Here are some tips to help you avoid injury: 1. Communicate well with your doctors and health care providers. Before your next doctor’s appointment, write down all the medications you currently take or have taken recently. Include prescription and non-prescription drugs. Take the list with you to all of your medical appointments (yes, even the dentist!) and make sure your doctors know that you are taking each medication.
By: Darrell Castle As the new year gets into full swing, many of us are already nearing the ultra-defining “breaking point” for our New Year’s Resolutions- the point where we determine if the goal is attainable or too much to handle. For some of us, that means forging ahead full steam, while for others it can mean refining or tweaking our New Year’s Resolutions to be more reachable. Even still, some of us will fall to defeat, unable to hold on to our goals and dreams of success or renewal in the New Year. According to Time Magazine “Get out of debt and save money” is one of the most commonly broken New Year’s Resolutions. This isn’t for lack of trying,