By: Darrell Castle I’ve created a free report on things you should know before hiring a bankruptcy attorney. You can download this here from my website, free of charge. In a part of that report, I highlight the importance of a responsive bankruptcy attorney. You need to know the law firm you hired is equipped with enough staff and willing enough to answer questions you might have throughout the process. The bankruptcy process has many moving parts. When you receive a confusing notice in the mail or your creditors continue to call and harass you, you need to feel comfortable and confident that you can call your attorney for help. It’s CRUCIAL to have an attorney who returns your phone
By: Darrell Castle If you’re struggling with debt you can’t pay, you may have a lot of questions. You may be searching for answers on what you can do. What are your best options? Should you consider bankruptcy? What will it do for you? What will it do TO you? That’s why it’s vital to seek a law firm that gives you this information and more. Before choosing a law firm to contact, search for one online that provides a lot of valuable information and resources. The firm’s website should tell you the benefits about bankruptcy and what it can do for you before you even pick up the phone and call. Then, once you call to schedule your consultation,
You don’t want a wage garnishment to happen to you One in 10 working Americans between the ages of 35 and 44 are getting their wages garnished, according to NPR. Let’s take Kevin Evan’s story for example… Kevin had a nice 25-year career selling office furniture, and business was good. That is until the recession blindsided him and companies stopped buying office furniture. He lost his income and sold his three-bedroom home that was no longer affordable. He never collected unemployment, but rather worked a few low-paying jobs for several years. But, with a daughter in college and basic living expenses, he found himself $7,000 in credit card debt. Fast-forward ahead a little bit, Kevin is working a better-paying job
Medical bills and debt By: Darrell Castle The luxuries are cheap and the necessities are expensive – that’s why so many families are struggling with debt, according to a statement in this article. The new iPhone 6? Relatively inexpensive and not life-threatening. Healthcare? Very expensive and a necessity for life. You can throw in college education to that expensive and necessary group as well. According to the AP, “for a typical married couple with two children, the combined cost of child care, housing, health care and savings for college and retirement jumped 32 percent from 2000 to 2012.” Medical bills are one of the more frequent reasons people end up in debt. If you have a family, not only are
We make plenty of assumptions when we hear about big wrecks, but if it happens to you, you might not really know who caused your truck accident. We always assume it’s the truck driver, but sometimes there’s a lot more to the story. The New York Times recently came out with a scathing editorial called “The Trucks Are Killing Us.” In it, the author claims that Congress is “coddling” the truck industry. He says that if past trends hold true, “More people will be killed in traffic accidents involving large trucks this year than have died in all of the domestic commercial airline crashes over the past 45 years.” But even with trucks clearly causing horrible fatal accidents all over
**NOTE: Memphis Actos attorney Darrell Castle is no longer accepting new Actos cases. We’ve kept the following information on our website for informational purposes only. If you would like to discuss another dangerous drug case, contact us today at 901-327-1212.** The seventh Actos case out of thousands went to trial recently. Frances Wisniewski, a 79-year old retired accountant, received a $2 million verdict. The jury found Actos contributed to Wisniewski’s bladder cancer. This case follows a $9 billion verdict and is the second heavy-hitting verdict against Actos. Actos Connection to Cancer Presented at Trial Actos users claim Takeda, the manufacturer of the drug, either ignored or downplayed Actos’ cancer-causing risks. They claim the company knew the risks before it ever went on
Stay-at-Home Parenting and SSDI What are the rules on disability benefits for stay-at-home parents? The answer depends on what other work history you might have. SSDI and Work Credits Social security disability insurance (SSDI) is an insurance policy set up by the federal government. In order to take part in the policy, you pay into it just like any insurance. For employees whose employer takes out their taxes for them, it happens automatically. For self-employed workers, you pay when you file your quarterly taxes. In return, injured or disabled workers can apply for disability insurance. Most people hope never to make that application, but in dire times it can cover some of your lost wages. To qualify for SSDI, you
We joke sometimes about creditors hating what we do – OK, one creditor in particular. But that’s not exactly how it works. Some creditors hate the work we do, but a lot of them love the way we do it. Here’s why: Video Transcript: If creditors hate me, it’s because I do my job very well. Here at Darrell Castle and Associates, we help people keep their cars if they’re behind on their car payments. We help them keep their homes when they’re behind on their house payments. So they’re not dispossessed, with children and families having no place to live, and their children displaced from their school system. We prevent all those things from happening. That’s what creditors
The Dangers of Asbestos Exposure As a Memphis personal injury attorney for asbestos exposure, I have seen firsthand the serious and frequently life-threatening illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos-related medical issues account for about 10,000 lost lives each year. And despite what many people believe, U.S. regulators never officially banned the product. So asbestos-related medical issues still commonly occur for many Americans every year. What Is Asbestos? Asbestos is a durable, flame resistant natural fiber. As a result, the building construction industry has used it for years, including in: Renovation Demolition Roofing Heating and cooling And more. You can find it in many homes and large buildings across the U.S. It also shows up in car clutches, brake repair,
The National Crisis of Debt According to the Commercial Appeal, almost 45% of Greater Memphis residents and more than 35% of all adult Americans have been reported to collection agencies. The article claims the number is so high because wages barely kept up with inflation over the past five years. This debt comes from human mistakes, job loss, and medical bills. “Roughly every third person you pass on the street is going to have debt in collections,” said Urban Institutes’s Caroline Ratcliffe. “It can tip employers’ hiring decisions or whether or not you get that apartment.” That’s because the debt is only one problem. If you let it fester because you can’t pay it, the debt and its consequences only get worse.