Can they go after property and savings? Shes been an attorney for a long time she should have some assets.
Not a personal injury lawsuit. She can go bankrupt, assuming she has and significant assets in her own name in the first place. The preceding is not intended to be legal advice as I’m not an attorney.
What Exactly Can Be Taken From You In A Lawsuit? https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/what-can-be-taken-in-lawsuit/ "... What Can You Lose in a Lawsuit? “What can be taken from you if you are liable in a lawsuit for personal injury?” asks Ted Kaplun, a personal injury lawyer and founding partner of the KaplunMarx law firm in Pennsylvania. “The answer is everything.” The most common type of liability lawsuit in which you stand to lose assets is one resulting from an accident, say experts. Zhaneta Gechev, who was an assistant manager for a major insurance company, saw many such cases. “Attorneys filed claims against [people’s] liability coverage,” says Gechev, who founded One Stop Life Insurance. “Unfortunately, many people are not aware they are way underinsured.” Here’s what you can lose: Your Car Some states allow you to identify a few thousand dollars in an automobile and personal property as exempt from garnishment, says Steven Mikuzis, a principal of Power Risk Management Services in Illinois, a risk management and insurance brokerage firm. For example, you can claim an exemption of up to $1,000 of your vehicle’s value under Florida law. In other words, your vehicle can’t be taken to satisfy a judgment unless the car’s value, minus all debts for which the vehicle is collateral, is greater than $1,000. Your state’s laws may differ. Your Home If there’s a judgment against you, experts say you could lose your home, particularly if it’s a second home. But it’s a little complicated. Under most circumstances, a lien would be filed against the home. If you want to sell the house, you would have to pay off the lien. However, your home may be protected under homestead exemptions, which vary from state to state, according to Steven J.J. Weisman, an attorney and professor at Bentley University in Massachusetts. “Homes can also be protected for married couples by owning their home as tenants by the entirety,” he says. (“Tenants of the entirety: is a legal term that means each spouse has an undivided interest in the property.) Your Life Savings Savings accounts usually are fair game in a lawsuit. However, retirement accounts, such as a 401(k) and IRAs, are typically protected from a liability lawsuit. Note that although 401(k) retirement plans are protected under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, individually held IRAs get only a partial exemption in bankruptcy. So you would have to rely on state laws for protection. Anything You Have Left Seriously, anything. When Mario Iveljic, a partner at Mag Mile Law, issues a citation to discover assets in Illinois, he leaves no stone unturned. His firm asks for all checking and savings accounts, partnership agreements and records of partnerships, real estate (including timeshares), trusts, contents of all safety deposit vaults, titles to all properties and a complete list of jewelry, art objects and personal property. “A defendant could lose his car, cash, or other assets to satisfy a judgment,” he says. ..."
Those who are wealthy and in the know have little in the way of attachable assets. In other words, very little is in their name. The words “Trusts” and “LLCs” come to mind. LLCs are often used for vehicle purchases. Retirement accounts have already been mentioned. There are also privacy benefits to the above as well. Edit: I know an attorney who also maintains closely held debt for “Flexibility” reasons.
Yes, with respect to injury, imo. Injury is injury, whether via defamation or auto accident. All injuries [can] convert to a monetary value, with respect to redress.