The Check Is In The Mail

An injury or serious illness with no health insurance. Nevada, with the fourth highest bankruptcy rate in the United States, also has the largest portion of uninsured (nearly 23 percent of the population lacked coverage in 1992). Georgia, Mississippi and California also rank high. Hawaii, by contrast, with only 6 percent uninsured, has one of the lowest bankruptcy rates.

In America as a whole, the total number of uninsured has recently been growing by roughly 500,000 a year--every one of them bankruptcy bait if they're overwhelmed by medical bills.

An auto accident with insufficient insurance coverage. Bankruptcy may be the only way out if you lose a horrific judgment in court. Seven states don't require drivers to carry liability insurance, SMR says. Four of them (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Virginia) are among the eight states with the highest bankruptcy rates. Among cities, bankruptcy's gold, silver and bronze medals go to Memphis, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.