Practical guidance on Chapter 7, Chapter 13, foreclosure defense, and debt relief for North Carolina families.
Yes, once a person has case number after filing either a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a creditor is prohibited from trying contact the debtor in any attempt to collect a debt.
Most attorneys’ fees in a workers’ compensation case are based upon a contingency fee arrangement between the attorney and the injured worker. A contingency fee arrangement is when an attorney agrees to provide legal services to the injured person and is usually only paid in the event the injured worker is successful in their case.
The short answer is, no. Federal law prohibits an employer to discriminate against you for your declaring bankruptcy. According to 11 U.S.C § 525 (a) and (b), no governmental unit or private employer may “…terminate the employment of, or discriminate with the respect of employment someone who is or has been a debtor under this title…” In other words, you can’t be fired from your job simply because you have filed for bankruptcy.
If you are like many people, your home is not worth what it was a few years ago. With the downturn of the economy, the value of your house has decreased. Suddenly, you are “upside down” on your home and the sales price is not enough to pay off the first, second and sometimes third mortgage on your home. Bankruptcy may help you get rid of the second or third mortgage.
In a workers’ compensation case you are not able to choose your own doctor. As a general rule, your employer has the right to choose a doctor to treat your injuries. The doctor chosen does not have to be your own personal doctor and is, instead, likely to be a doctor that your company regularly uses.
Generally speaking, yes. It is not mandatory to stop using your credit cards before filing for bankruptcy but you should use them wisely and, ideally, you should stop using them. If charges to your credit cards have been made to purchase luxury items within 180 days prior to you filing the bankruptcy you would need to wait to file.
Whether you are filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you will be required to attend a creditor’s meeting (also known as a 341 Meeting of Creditors). The Court schedules the date and time of your creditors meeting after your bankruptcy has been filed and a bankruptcy Trustee has been assigned to your case.
Generally speaking, no. However, there are always exceptions.
Most retirement plans are ERISA qualified, which stands for Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This law was enacted to protect your retirement accounts from risky investments by your employer or plan administrator. If the plan is ERISA qualified, then your bankruptcy Trustee cannot seize your retirement money to pay your creditors.
No, your employer cannot fire you simply because you have been injured at work and filed a workers’ compensation claim. Any employer who uses retaliatory action such as terminating you from your job due to an injury sustained on the job could be violating a North Carolina law known as the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act, also known as “REDA”. If an employer violates this law by terminating you because of your injury on the job, you should contact a workers’ compensation attorney immediately. In this event, you can bring a court action against the employer and seek damages from the employer. The court may order you to be reinstated to your old position and order that you be compensated for your for lost wages, benefits, and seniority.
As an employee, you cannot sue your employer for a work related injury. If the injury has occurred within the scope of your employment, you must claim your injury through the workers’ compensation system. The workers’ compensation system was set up as a form of insurance for both you and your employer. The system is looked at as a “no fault system” which means that injuries are viewed as an unavoidable aspect of work relationships and there is no need to prove that your employer or a certain person caused your injury.
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