Legal Question in Civil Litigation in North Carolina

I received a letter in the mail from a lawyer that is seeking a judgement against me due to an unpaid hospital bill, my question is, what would or could happen if for some reason I was not able to make it to court that day. This is a civil matter. Basically, what I am asking is, could the judge issue a warrant for my arrest. I know this probably sounds stupid, but I have never had this to happen before and people are telling me that it isnt that serious, but I want the legal advice from a professional. Thank you for your time and help.


Asked on 6/03/11, 7:30 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jeff Rosner Rosner Law Firm P.A.

You will not be arrested - this is a civil matter. However, I wouldn't say that it is not serious. I don't know all the facts from your post but chances are that you have been sued and have already missed the deadline to respond or responded and admitted you owed the money. Therefore this hearing is probably for summary judgment or default judgment. If you do not show up to court, you will most likely lose and have a judgment entered against you (showing up may not matter anyway depending on what has already transpired). You should really talk with an attorney and go over this matter and any other outstanding matters you may have. I don't know if you have assets or if bankruptcy might be an option or if you can just ignore this creditor, etc. You need to speak with someone in depth and get competent advice.

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Answered on 6/03/11, 7:52 am


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