The U.S. Census Bureau, in their most recent survey taken the first two weeks of February, found 16% of respondents expect to be evicted in the next two months. Another 23% said it was somewhat likely. The data demonstrates that Americans are continuing to struggle with inflation, and some are now facing even more difficulties with the SNAP pandemic benefits expiration that occurred March 1st. Families of four at 200% of the poverty line has the most to lose with the loss of additional SNAP benefits. Additionally, the unwinding of pandemic Medicaid coverage will ultimately leave millions without coverage. Southern states, according to the data, show higher rates of financial stress. If your household facing a financial crisis due to these changes and are you ready to consider your legal options? Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. According to the latest information from the Federal Reserve, credit card debt in the last quarter of 2022 rose to $986 billion. That's an increase of $61 billion. The data also indicates a rise in credit card deliquencies, especially among young adults. Growing credit card debt often leads to a financial crisis, triggered by higher fees and higher interest rates. According to financial advisors, credit cards should be paid in full every month. Paying the monthly minimum only results in paying mostly for the interest accruing on the debt and makes little impact on the overall balance. Advisors also warn about credit card companies offering zero interest, as up-front fees are often included in the offer and the zero interest is for a limited time, often defaulting to even higher rates than your previous card. Has credit card debt overwhelmed you to the point you feel there is no way out? Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. More than 10,000 people have died on Tennessee roadways in the last 10 years. Data also shows an almost 20% increase in traffic accidents in the first half of last year when compared to 2020. The report, from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, states drivers are behaving recklessly by speeding, impairment, and refusing to wear seatbelts. There is a suggestion that Tennessee pass a law requiring backseat passengers to also wear seatbelts. The rationale, say the authors, is that an unrestrained backseat passenger is not only a danger to themselves, but during an accident, becomes a danger to others. Other suggested laws include:
While each case is different, there are times when an accident could have obviously been avoided, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the driver. If you believe that you or a loved one have fallen victim to someone who was careless while driving, you may have a case that proves their actions were negligent and any pain or suffering you endured or continue to endure could result in a potential lawsuit. Contact us for a case review. At the law offices of T. Verner Smith, we represent clients who have suffered personal injury due to the negligence of another. These types of lawsuits not only provide necessary compensation for those who were wrongfully hurt in an accident, but also creates an environment of caution leading to higher safety standards for all. Call us for a free consultation at (731) 423-1888, (901) 730-4567, or (615) 371-6136. (1/4/22) The latest statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics say a record 4.5 million quit their jobs in the month of November, 2021. The categories featuring the most 'quits' were the hospitality industry as well as health care, followed by warehousing, transportation, and utilities. The quit rate was more than twice as high as layoffs/discharges. Experts speculate the service and health care industries are more likely to result in quits due to concerns about COVID-19 exposure. Lower entry pay and a lack of opportunity for tips and advancements also impact the service industry. The South recorded the highest quit rate, greatly eclipsing other sectors of the country. Nearly 1.9 million workers in the South quit their jobs, compared to 611,000 in the Northeast, 960,000 in the West, and 999,999 in the Midwest. More details here: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm If your family is struggling due to COVID related issues, call us at the law office of T. Verner Smith. Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation.
Reckless drivers often cause car accidents in Tennessee, resulting in injuries causing neck and back pain. While this can be a common injury, you likely need an experienced personal injury lawyer from the beginning. What causes these back and neck injuries? The force associated with a car accident can cause serious damage to the back and neck area. These injuries may result in long-term discomfort as well as negatively impacting victims economically due to loss of work, medical bills, therapy, and potentially lifelong issues. One of the most common injuries is 'whiplash'. The inertia of opposing forces in an impact accident can and often results in a violent movement of the head. This injury, which may take several days to fully develop, can be extremely painful and debilitating. Lower back pain, caused by a misalignment or damage to the spinal discs may also be the result of a car accident. Ligaments, muscles, and tendons along the spine may also be damaged. What kinds of treatments may I expect? Treatments for these injuries vary from physical therapy, to medications, to spinal surgery. Many of these injuries may last for months, and in some cases, for a lifetime. But this wasn't my fault! If your car accident was not your fault, is it fair to you that you suffer due to someone else's negligence? We think not. Seek legal advice before agreeing to anything. Neck and back injuries are no stranger to insurance companies. Their adjusters and experts may attempt to claim your injury is minor and attempt to minimize your claim. It is important for accident victims to seek legal opinions sooner rather than later in these cases. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident and aren't sure how to proceed next, call us at the Law Office of T. Verner Smith for a free consultation at (731) 423-1888. On August 17th, West Carroll Special School District chose to close all of their schools (Primary, Elementary, Jr/Sr High) Wednesday through Friday of that week. Preston Caldwell, Director of Schools, said "the time is needed for quarantine relief, and to prepare for distance learning." Caldwell made the decision after more than 300 students (38% of the student population) were in quarantine.
The unspoken part of this story is that the parents of 900 students have also been affected - as they suddenly have to adjust their work schedule, or use vacation days, or have had to quit their job altogether due to unpredictable needs at home. This obviously places a financial hardship on these families, with no recourse. This same scenario is playing out in schools all across West Tennessee, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 is impacting young people at a much higher rate than the previous virus. Among children age 10 and younger, an average of 550 new COVID cases PER DAY are occurring across Tennessee. In the last 2 weeks (as of 8/19), over 12,000 children age 5 to 18 have been diagnosed with COVID. That's 12,000 families economically affected as well. Schools all across the area are reporting higher illness rates, and quarantine procedures require those in contact to take time away from school as well....resulting in even more families struggling to adjust work schedules. Shelby County, in trying to mitigate the sudden rise in COVID cases has today (8/20) reinstated their mask mandate for all indoor public places such as restaurants, bars, gyms, event venues, hotels, multi-residential buildings, and other businesses. An article published on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's website (here) recognizes the strain families are under, and is calling on local and state lawmakers to use federal money to provide direct financial support for women and their families. The article cites that 2.5 million women left the job market during the crisis and have increased child care responsibilities in today's world. The article also suggests implementing policies that support families, including: paid family leave, flexible schedules, and remote work options. If your family is struggling due to COVID related issues, call us at the law office of T. Verner Smith. Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. According to a recent article (here) recent social media posts have suggested that if workers don't agree with the vaccination requirements at their job, "DO NOT QUIT. Make them fire you...and get unemployment benefits."
However, the article says that if a worker fails to comply with a company's vaccination policy, they may be fired and are generally ineligible for unemployment benefits. There are likely going to be some exceptions and qualifications for unemployment vary state to state. Some states have more guidance than others, but employees are generally barred from getting unemployment benefits if they quit or if the employer has 'cause' for terminating the employee for misconduct. Is refusing to take the vaccination enough 'cause' for termination? Maybe. Don't look for any help from the feds either, as the U.S. Justice Department just recently wrote a legal opinion that businesses may lawfully REQUIRE employees to get vaccinated. See the opinion here. The article also admits that since COVID-19 vaccines are still new, private company mandates will likely be challenged in courts. Has the original pandemic and now the vaccination issue caused a financial problem for your family? Call us at the law office of T. Verner Smith. Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. First the latest news about new unemployment claims in Tennessee. Since the Governor stopped federal unemployment money as well as extended benefits AND benefits to the self employed and gig workers....as of yesterday, an additional 24,000 new unemployment claims have been filed in Tennessee since July 3rd.
In fact, Tennessee was one of only 10 states in the entire nation that showed MORE new claims this week, than the week before. Only California and Nevada had more new claims filed. SOMETHING is obviously wrong. Unemployment in Tennessee, if you can get it, only averages $218 a week. What kind of a lifestyle do you think that provides? Why are so many Tennesseans opting for that, instead of taking one of the jobs available? Is $218 a week enough to encourage someone to stay home? You'd certainly think not. Are folks choosing to stay home, and suffer economically, rather than take the jobs that are available? If so, what does that say about the jobs that are available? If anything. Those of us who say, 'well I've always worked 3 jobs when I had to', and 'as long as I'm able-bodied, I'll always go to work'. Good on us. That still doesn't answer the question of why so many folks are STILL refusing to take the jobs that are being offered. An unemployment check of $218 a week...IF you even qualify for one...and for however long you can receive it...isn't enough of a reason to stay home, regardless of how 'lazy' you are perceived to be. It just can't be. It must be something else. Regardless of where you are on the economic scale, the pandemic brought hardships to many Tennesseans. From longtime business owners, to entrepreneurs, to gig workers, servers, and laborers, virtually every type of career was met with challenges of some kind. Many Tennesseans got behind on their bills, were unable to find jobs that provided the income they needed, and as a result are facing past due notices, evictions, foreclosures, and lawsuits. The law office of T. Verner Smith can help you avoid and/or offer relief in most all of those cases. From debt restructuring, to negotiations, to bankruptcy, there are a number of legal remedies for most situations. Call to schedule a free consultation today at (731) 423-1888 or visit www.vernersmith.com First the news about new unemployment claims in Tennessee. Since the Governor slammed the door on federal unemployment money and stopped extended benefits AND benefits to the self employed and gig workers....as of yesterday, nearly 17,000 new unemployment claims have been filed in Tennessee since July 3rd. Even the national new claims numbers shocked the experts this week, jumping to 419,000...when 350,000 were expected. Here at home, as thousands of Tennessee residents who lost their original jobs due (mostly) to the pandemic are still struggling to find decent paying jobs. The struggle is real. Imagine this........ According to the state's own jobs4tn.gov website, the fastest growing occupation for this area is 'Food Prep and Servers'....followed by 'Cashiers'...then 'retail salespeople'. Those jobs pay, on the average, just $100 a week more than the federal poverty line income level. (Those 3 job categories average $18,800 vs federal poverty line for 1 person at $12,800/annual) To further compound the problem, those same three categories, which were the FIRST to be impacted by the pandemic shutdown...are in danger of having it happen all over again. As a result, the vast majority of those are looking for other, more insulated jobs.....and those are either hard to find, or require skill sets they don't have or haven't acquired yet. To make matters even worse, rumblings are beginning again about the possibility of mandatory masks and business shutdowns.
The sudden rise of the Delta variant of COVID is real. In Tennessee alone, documented new cases of COVID have risen from 1,200 cases this time last month, to right at 9,000 today. Based on the current trajectory, that number could be as high as 64,000 this time next month. Also concerning, on a national scale, 2 of the fastest new case states, are right against our West Tennessee border: Arkansas and Missouri. The White House is considering issuing some sort of mask mandate. Los Angeles County has already re-issued a mask mandate for all indoor facilities, and at least 2 restaurants have temporarily closed again. School is about to get underway, and the CDC has adjusted their K-12 recommendations suggesting masks be worn by everyone indoors if not fully vaccinated as well as maintaining the 3-foot-rule in classrooms. Yes, we are all doing our best to....and want to....get past the pandemic. But there is no denying that the effects are still being felt, and there is a very real threat of mandates and closings happening again. Meanwhile, families are struggling financially. If your family is having difficulty finding family-supporting employment, or the pandemic put you in a financial crisis....call us at the law office of T. Verner Smith. Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. The theory was that shutting the door on unemployment benefits would force folks to get out and find a job. So here we are, almost 2 weeks since Governor Lee shut down federal unemployment benefits, extended state benefits, and benefits for gig and self-employed Tennesseans.....and what is the result? Well, you have to do some digging.... because, for some unexplained reason last week, the Tennessee Department of Labor announced they will no longer publish unemployment claims data. (link here) In fact, the only story they released yesterday about unemployment in Tennessee referenced the month of June. No mention of last week's numbers at all. So we visited the US Department of Labor's site and checked the just released (7/15/21) data. As it turns out, last week, Tennessee's new unemployment claims went UP 44%. Approximately 9,400 new claims, compared to 6,500 the week before. (link here) Did more people try to go out and find jobs? They may have tried, but the picture isn't nearly as rosy as many would have you believe.
For example, we searched Madison County's available jobs at jobs4tn.gov. There are allegedly 2,400 job openings, and 23,242 active resume candidates. Which means, if you're looking for a job, for every 1 that lands it...9 others will be told 'no thanks', keep looking. Further, they note that the fastest growing occupation for the region is Food Prep and Servers, with an average wage of $18,400 a year. Cashiers are next fastest growing, at $18,290 a year, followed by retail salespeople at $19,990 a year. Let's face it, folks aren't getting rich. It's quite understandable why many Tennesseans are searching for better opportunities. Yet the available job landscape doesn't leave a lot of options. (data here) We dug into those 2,400 job openings in Madison County, to see what those really are. Over half of those listed are more than a month old. Of those that are current (within the last month), only 102 of them pay more than $20K a year. And if you don't have MORE than a high school diploma, only 51 of those are available. If your family is struggling because you no longer qualify for unemployment, are having difficulty finding family-supporting employment, or the pandemic put you in a financial crisis....call us at the law office of T. Verner Smith. Through financial restructuring, debt resolution, or legal options including but not limited to bankruptcy, there are ways to relieve the pressure and chart a path to a better future. Don't be embarrassed, don't be hesitant, you are not alone, and taking action now is the smart approach. Call us at (731) 423-1888 and schedule a free consultation. |
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