I'm being sued from an individual that was in a 5-car accident in which I was involved. I was mailed a complaint. do I have to answer?

It is a common, and very bad, mistake to ignore a lawsuit.  If you are served with a lawsuit, you have a fixed period of time (30 days in most State court cases in Georgia) to file a written answer with the Clerk of Court.  If you fail to file an answer within the time allowed, YOU LOSE!  This is called a default judgment.  If you have insurance which may cover the claim, upon becoming aware of a claim against you it is imperative that you contact your insurer right away.  If you fail to do so, your insurer may refuse to cover the claim. If you do not have insurance, you should retain an attorney to help you defend the suit.  If that is not feasible, your options are limited.  You can try to quickly settle the claim yourself, file an answer and try to defend the claim yourself (usually not a good idea, or speak with a bankruptcy attorney about your bankruptcy options.  A bankruptcy filing under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 will stop any action to collect a debt.  Most experienced bankruptcy attorneys offer a free initial consultation.  DON'T GO IT ALONE.  GET EXPERIENCED HELP. MORGAN & MORGAN ATTORNEYS AT LAW, P.C. IS LOCATED IN ATHENS, GEORGIA.  WE HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE HELPING PEOPLE WITH BANKRUPTCY AND DEBT RELIEF, SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY, WORK-RELATED INJURIES, AND OTHER LEGAL PROBLEMS.  VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.MORGANLAWYERS.COM OR CALL (706)548-7070.