Do I Need a Lawyer for My Personal Injury Case and What Are the Two Main Types of Bankruptcy Cases for Individuals?
Bankruptcy -
There are two bankruptcy options for individuals:
Ch 7 - bankruptcy is usually over after 4 months; clean start, no monthly payments;
Ch 13 - three to five years of monthly payments to the court; usually a chapter 13 is required for higher income debtors or will be preferred if 1) behind on a mortgage or car payments, this allows catching up on payments over time; or 2) need time to pay the attorney fee, or 3) some debts can only be reduced in ch 13 - such as property division debts from divorce, or cramdown of a car loan.
Personal Injury -
Why do I need a lawyer in my accident case?
Insurance companies are billion-dollar enterprises, and they don't stay that way by being overly fair or generous. They know that a significant percentage of people just won't get a lawyer (no matter what) and those folks will often take very little for all they are put through by someone else's negligence. A permanently injured and painful neck or back, just because another driver didn't care enough to keep their eyes on the road, should be worth more than $500 or $1,000. Unfortunately, that is all an insurance company is often willing to pay someone for this impact. A lawyer usually provides a better outcome (even after the fee) - a good personal injury lawyer provides a substantially better outcome.